Did your 2025 property assessment go up by 50% or more? You may qualify for the City’s Longtime Owner Occupants Program (LOOP).

Getting into the program could save you money on your Real Estate Tax, but you must also meet other requirements. Your home’s value must have significantly increased (by 50% or 75% in the last five years), as well as:

  • You’ve lived in your house for 10 years or more.
  • Your income meets or falls below the program’s limits based on your family size. For example, the income limit for a one-person household is $96,350.
  • Your property tax account is current, or you’re enrolled in a payment agreement. For example, if you’re in an Owner-Occupied Payment Agreement (OOPA), you’re compliant.

Our website has a full list of income and other requirements.

So how does LOOP work?

LOOP locks in your home’s assessment at a certain amount for as long as you remain eligible. The value of your house may go up, but your bill won’t—here’s what we mean:

You may not save money right away if your 2025 assessment went up by exactly 50%. The good news is your bill will be based on that 50% increase and the current tax rate. The program caps your assessment at that level, so you don’t have to worry about future increases. Whenever the value of your home goes up, you’ll save money, since your bills will be based on the “locked-in” assessment.

Likewise, if your assessment has increased by 75% or more in five years, your bill will be ‘frozen’ at that level. This way, future increases in your home’s value won’t affect your bill. Instead, you’ll save money on every dollar over the 75%.

Bottom line: with LOOP, your assessment may change, but your bill stays the same—saving you money. The only way your bill will change is if the tax rate goes up or down.

What’s better, LOOP or Homestead?

By law, you can’t get the Homestead Exemption and LOOP at the same time. You should weigh your options carefully. It’s a good idea to first estimate your Real Estate Tax bill with both programs before applying for LOOP. Use this LOOP calculator to compare how much your bill would be with each program.

The Real Estate Tax Estimator on property.phila.gov is another great tool to help you visualize your bill. Enter your address and use the dropdown menu to compare your bill with each relief program.

Remember, you’re the only one who can decide which program works best for you. Revenue staff are not able to decide on your behalf.

In addition, if your property received a 10-year tax abatement while you owned it, or you got it from someone who did, it’s not eligible for LOOP.

Ready to apply?

Before you apply, make sure you have your current and previous five-year assessments handy. You can find these values at property.phila.gov.

You can apply in multiple ways, but the easiest is online. Use the “Search for a property” link on the Philadelphia Tax Center homepage and follow the prompts. You don’t need a username and password to apply for Real Estate Tax assistance.

The deadline for LOOP applications is September 30 each year. Apply now to get the benefit before the 2025 property tax bills are due. Once accepted into the program, you won’t have to reapply unless your deed changes.

Got questions about LOOP? Give us a call at (215) 686-9200.

Learn more about LOOP and other property tax relief programs.