A Pittsburgh property tax bill is really three bills. The City of Pittsburgh, the School District of Pittsburgh, and Allegheny County each set their own millage rate and send their own invoice against the same assessed value, so one house generates three separate obligations with three separate deadlines every year.
Three Bills for One Property
The city levy funds police, fire, and road maintenance. The School District of Pittsburgh is a legally separate entity with its own elected board and independent power to set tax rates for education. Although the city and school district share nearly identical boundaries, they operate under different charters and different billing cycles.
Allegheny County is the third taxing body, and its levy covers every parcel in the county, including those inside city limits. County taxes pay for the courts, the jail, human services, and regional infrastructure. The three share a common assessment database maintained by the county, and that is where the coordination ends. Each sets its own rate, prints its own bill, and enforces its own deadlines.
How Your Assessed Value Is Set
Allegheny County’s Office of Property Assessments determines the taxable value of every parcel using a 2012 base year. Your assessed value reflects what the county estimates your property would have sold for as of January 1, 2012, not what it would sell for today.1Allegheny County. Real Estate Portal Improvements or demolitions since then are factored in as of the current year, but the underlying land value stays anchored to 2012.
Because real market values have moved since 2012, Pennsylvania publishes a Common Level Ratio each year to express the gap. For 2026, Allegheny County’s CLR is 50.14%, meaning the county’s assessments run at roughly half of current market values on average.2Allegheny County. Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review FAQs The CLR matters most during appeals, discussed further below.
Calculating What You Owe
Each taxing body applies its own millage rate to your assessed value. One mill equals one dollar of tax per $1,000 of assessed value. The City of Pittsburgh’s current millage rate is 9.67.3City of Pittsburgh. Property Tax Worksheet Allegheny County’s rate is 6.43.4Allegheny County. Property Assessment Tax Calculator The School District of Pittsburgh sets its own rate annually, and current figures for all school districts in the county are published by the Allegheny County Treasurer.5Allegheny County Treasurer Office. Local and School District Tax Millage
Divide the assessed value by 1,000 and multiply by the millage rate. A property assessed at $100,000 would owe $967 to the city ($100,000 ÷ 1,000 × 9.67) and $643 to the county ($100,000 ÷ 1,000 × 6.43). The school district calculation works the same way with its own rate. Add the three together for the annual total, then subtract any exclusions you qualify for.
Deadlines, Discounts, and Late Penalties
The city and county run on different calendars, and missing a discount window on either costs real money.
City of Pittsburgh
You get a 2% discount if you pay the full annual tax or the first installment by February 10. The gross amount of the first installment or full annual payment is due by February 27. If you prefer to spread it out, the city allows three installments: the first by February 27, the second by April 30, and the third by July 31.6City of Pittsburgh. Real Estate Taxes
If you make no payment by the end of February, or pay less than the full first installment, the entire year’s taxes become due immediately and begin accruing interest from March 1.6City of Pittsburgh. Real Estate Taxes The city charges 12% annual interest on the unpaid balance plus a penalty of 0.5% of the unpaid amount for each month or partial month it remains outstanding.7City of Pittsburgh, PA. City of Pittsburgh Code Chapter 209 – Violations, Fines, Interest and Penalties – Section 209.04
Allegheny County
The county’s 2% discount period runs through March 31. The face amount is due by April 30. Starting May 1, the account enters past-due status, and the county adds a one-time 5% penalty plus 1% monthly interest that accrues until the balance is paid in full.8Allegheny County Treasurer Office. Allegheny County Treasurer Office
School District
The School District of Pittsburgh sends its own bill on its own timeline. Watch the dates printed on each bill carefully, because the discount and penalty windows vary across all three.
Both the city and county accept online payments through their treasurer websites, including electronic checks and credit cards (service fees usually apply to card payments). You can also mail a check or money order to the address on the bill. If a mortgage lender manages escrow, keep every receipt; they often ask for proof of payment.
Homestead Exclusion
If you live in the property you own, the Homestead Exclusion reduces your assessed value before the tax is calculated. Allegheny County’s exclusion removes $18,000 from the assessed value used for the county tax, which saves roughly $115 per year at the current county millage rate. The city and school district may apply their own exclusion amounts on top.
The property must be your primary residence. The county may ask for proof such as a Pennsylvania driver’s license or voter registration card showing the property’s address.9Allegheny County. Act 50 – Application for Homestead and Farmstead Exclusions You will need the parcel identification number, which appears on any previous tax bill or on the county’s Real Estate Portal. Applications must be received by March 1 to take effect that tax year.10Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Property Tax Relief Through Homestead Exclusion Once approved, the exclusion stays in place as long as the property remains your primary residence; you do not need to reapply each year.
Relief for Seniors and Low-Income Owners
Act 77 (County)
Allegheny County administers Act 77, which gives qualifying homeowners a flat 30% discount on their county property tax bill, up to a $650 maximum reduction per year. You must own and occupy the property as your primary residence; be 60 or older (or have a spouse 60 or older), be a widow or widower 50 or older, or be permanently disabled and between 18 and 60; and have total household income no greater than $30,000 per year. Only 50% of Social Security, SSI, and Railroad Retirement Tier 1 benefits count toward that limit; other income counts in full.11Allegheny County Treasurer Office. Act 77 Senior Tax Relief Program
Proof of age is required: a Pennsylvania driver’s license, birth certificate, state ID, or passport. The county specifically does not accept a Social Security letter as age verification.
City of Pittsburgh Tax Relief
The city runs a parallel program providing a 40% discount on city property taxes, with the same $30,000 income threshold. If you are already certified for Act 77, you automatically qualify for the city’s relief.12City of Pittsburgh, PA. City of Pittsburgh Code Subchapter C – Property Tax Relief Program – Section 263.22
Pennsylvania Property Tax/Rent Rebate
Pennsylvania offers an additional rebate to homeowners and renters with household income of $48,110 or less. Only half of Social Security income counts toward this limit. The rebate ranges from $380 to $1,000 depending on income. It is separate from the county and city programs, and you can receive all three. Apply through the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.
LERTA Abatement for New Construction and Major Improvements
The Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance program, known as LERTA, temporarily exempts the increased value from new construction or major improvements from property tax. If you build or substantially renovate, the added value is phased into your bill gradually rather than hitting all at once.13County of Allegheny, PA. Allegheny County Code – Article IV LERTA
The City of Pittsburgh extended its LERTA abatement period from 10 years to 20 years.14City of Pittsburgh. CM Wilson Statement on LERTA Extension Applicants submit building permits and cost estimates to the City of Pittsburgh Finance Department. The abatement applies only to the improvement value; your existing assessment stays fully taxable throughout.
Appealing Your Assessment
If you believe your property is assessed too high, you can file an appeal with Allegheny County’s Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review. There is no filing fee.15Allegheny County. Annual Appeals For the 2027 tax year, appeals may be submitted between July 1 and September 1, 2026, online through the Real Estate Portal, by email, or in person.16Allegheny County. Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review
The 2012 base year is what makes the Common Level Ratio useful on appeal. With the 2026 CLR at 50.14%, you can multiply a recent comparable sale price by that ratio to convert it into a base year equivalent.2Allegheny County. Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review FAQs If those adjusted comparables land below your current assessment, you have a strong case. The adjustment is not applied automatically; you have to file to benefit from it. Bring comparable sales data, photographs of the property’s condition, and any professional appraisal you have obtained.
If You Don’t Pay
Unpaid Pittsburgh property taxes escalate past penalties and interest and can eventually cost you the property.
Allegheny County does not use the “upset sale” process many Pennsylvania counties follow. Properties with delinquent county, municipal, and school district taxes are exposed at a Sheriff’s Sale.17Sheriff Allegheny County. Real Estate – Sale of Property The City of Pittsburgh Treasurer’s Office runs a separate sale process for delinquent city and school district taxes. Under Pennsylvania law, owners must receive notice by certified mail at least 30 days before any scheduled tax sale, and the property must be posted at least 10 days before the sale date.
If your home is sold at a tax lien Sheriff’s Sale, Pennsylvania law provides a nine-month redemption period. During that window, you can reclaim the property by paying all delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and sale costs. After nine months, the buyer receives a Sheriff’s Deed and the right to reclaim is gone. This redemption right applies only to tax sales; it does not exist for mortgage foreclosure sales.
The compounding penalties make the debt harder to resolve long before any sale is scheduled. Paying even a partial amount before the past-due deadlines above keeps the situation from running away from you.