Controller finds Department of Revenue still hasn't caught tens of thousands of improper Homestead Exemption claims, costing city and schools up to $60 million a year
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What happened
In a December 4, 2024 investigation, City Controller Christy Brady's office identified roughly 23,000 Philadelphia properties improperly claiming the Homestead Exemption, estimating the city and School District were losing $11.4 million a year (up to $57 million over five years) as a result. After Revenue removed 13,355 illegitimate exemptions from a narrower list, recovering $33.5 million in new tax revenue, the Controller's office conducted a deeper analysis published August 5, 2026 and found 36,000 additional at-risk properties Revenue's own review had not caught, with the potential to double annual recovered revenue to about $60 million if Revenue investigates them.
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- controller.phila.govDocument
$57 million over the next five years if this issue is not properly addressed
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