Property Tax Exemptions in Bucks County

Property taxes in Bucks County are based on your property’s assessed value multiplied by the applicable millage rate. But several programs can reduce what you owe. Homeowners often overlook these programs because they do not know they exist or assume they do not qualify.

Homestead Exclusion

Pennsylvania’s homestead exclusion reduces the assessed value of your primary residence. Under the Homestead Property Exclusion Program Act, the governing body of any political subdivision, meaning a county, a city, a borough, an incorporated town, a township, or a school district, may adopt an exclusion against its own real estate tax. 53 Pa.C.S. §§ 8582, 8583(a). In Bucks County, the exclusion amount varies by school district. You must apply through the Bucks County Board of Assessment and both own and occupy the property as your primary residence.

To qualify, file an application with the Bucks County Board of Assessment by March 1. That deadline governs relief for the school tax year beginning the following July 1. 53 Pa.C.S. § 8584(b). Once approved, you do not need to reapply every year, but the approval is not permanent. If the property stops qualifying as homestead property, for example a new deed conveys it to someone else or you no longer occupy it as your primary residence, you must notify the Board within 45 days, and a new owner must file a fresh application. An ordinary mortgage refinance records a mortgage, not a deed, and does not by itself affect your homestead status.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program

This state-funded program provides rebates of up to $1,000 (or more with supplemental rebates) to qualifying homeowners and renters. Eligibility:

• Age 65 or older, OR widow/widower age 50 or older, OR age 18+ with a permanent disability
• Household income of $48,110 or less (homeowners and renters, for claim year 2025; this cap is adjusted annually for inflation under Act 7 of 2023)
• Only half of Social Security income is counted for eligibility

File applications annually with the PA Department of Revenue (Form PA-1000). The statutory deadline is June 30, but the Department of Revenue has extended it to December 31 in recent years; for the 2025 claim year the deadline is December 31, 2026. File as early as you can, and verify the current deadline and income limit at revenue.pa.gov , as it adjusts each year.

Disabled Veterans Real Estate Tax Exemption

Under Article VIII, § 2(c) of the Pennsylvania Constitution and 51 Pa.C.S. § 8902, a Pennsylvania resident is exempt from all real estate taxes on the building he or she occupies as a principal dwelling, including the land it stands on, if four requirements are met. First, the veteran was honorably discharged, or released under honorable circumstances, from the armed forces of the United States for service in a war or armed conflict in which this nation was engaged. Second, as a result of that military service, the veteran is blind or paraplegic, has lost two or more limbs, or has a service-connected disability that the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has declared a total or 100% permanent disability. Third, the dwelling is owned by the veteran alone, with a spouse, or as an estate by the entireties. Fourth, the State Veterans’ Commission has determined that the veteran needs the exemption. Peacetime service alone does not qualify, no matter how severe the disability. The county Board of Assessment grants the exemption once it finds these conditions met and receives the Commission’s certification of need.

This is a complete exemption that eliminates all county, municipal, and school district property taxes. An unmarried surviving spouse may continue to receive the exemption after the veteran’s death, but only if the spouse still occupies the home as a principal dwelling and the State Veterans’ Commission determines that the spouse is also in need of it. Remarriage ends the exemption.

LOOP (Longtime Owner-Occupants Program)

LOOP freezes property tax assessments for longtime homeowners whose assessments have increased significantly. It is not available in Bucks County. In Pennsylvania, LOOP exists in Philadelphia, and under Act 53 of 2024, the City of Pittsburgh may also adopt it. Some other municipalities may be exploring similar programs; confirm current status before relying on this. Bucks County homeowners cannot apply for LOOP, but the homestead exclusion, the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, and an assessment appeal can still cut what you owe.

Act 1: Property Tax Reduction Allocations

Act 1 of 2006 provides for property tax reduction through gambling revenue. School districts receive allocations from the state that are used to reduce homestead property taxes. The reduction appears as a line item on your school tax bill and is applied automatically if you have an approved homestead exemption.

Bucks County Assessment Appeals

If your property is over-assessed, you can appeal. An assessment appeal is not technically an “exemption,” but it achieves the same result: a lower tax bill. See our detailed guide on property tax assessment appeals in Bucks County .

Legal and factual content on this page was last verified: Sept. 2026. If you are reading this significantly after that date, confirm key provisions with current statute text or contact our office.