Tax Office

REAL ESTATE TAXES

Historically, real estate taxes have been a primary revenue source for local governments (including school districts) in Pennsylvania. Approximately 50% of Middletown Area School District's annual budget is funded through the collection of real estate taxes.

Beginning in 2006, Middletown Area School District assumed responsibility for the collection of school taxes. At that time, the district partnered with Fulton Bank and used automated lockbox processing – similar to the systems used by utilities and credit card companies to efficiently collect payments - in order to reduce processing costs. Although the district believes automated lockbox processing is the most efficient and secure way to collect real estate taxes, use of the automated lockbox system has been underutilized. In 2018 the District changed lockbox providers from Fulton Bank to Mid Penn Bank, in an attempt to expand the use of automated lockbox processing and further lower collection costs.

The District includes a postage paid reply envelope with the July real estate tax bills to encourage the use of the automated lockbox system. This additional cost is less than the cost of manually collecting payments, preparing deposits and entering payment information into district records and allows the district to respond to reduced staffing and promote internal efficiency. Thank you for helping us reduce costs by mailing your payment.


PAYMENT INFORMATION FOR 2023-2024

Please make 2023-2024 real estate tax payments payable to "MIDDLETOWN AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT". Tax bills will be considered paid when the proper amount is received in full by January 3, 2024. Partial payments are not accepted unless a taxpayer has enrolled in the installment payment option (see below). Taxpayers who pay their bill in full on or before September 30 are entitled to a 2% discount. After November 30, taxpayers who have not paid their bill in full and are not enrolled in the installment payment option are assessed a 10% penalty. Taxes are required to be considered delinquent after January 3, 2024, and will be turned over to the Dauphin County Tax Claim Bureau for collection.


PAYMENTS MADE BY MAIL

Mail the remittance (bottom) portion of the ORIGINAL tax notice, with your check, in the postage paid envelope to:

PO Box 61918
Harrisburg, PA 17106-9973

U.S. postmark will be considered the date paid. PLEASE NOTE that if a payment due date falls on a weekend, the due date will be extended to the next business day. If a receipt is desired, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope and the receipt portion of the tax notice with your payment stub and check.


PAYMENTS MADE IN PERSON

Real estate tax payments may be made in person ONLY at the Mid Penn Bank branch office, located on Spring Garden Drive during normal business hours. The remittance (bottom) portion of the original tax notice will be required.


PAYMENTS MADE BY MORTGAGE COMPANIES

Tax bills are only mailed to property owners. Taxpayers who escrow their real estate tax payments should forward the real estate tax bill to their mortgage company to ensure timely payment.

INSTALLMENT PAYMENT OPTION

All property owners have the opportunity to make payment in three (3) equal installments on the face amount of tax. Payment of the 1st installment on or before the due date of August 15, will indicate enrollment in the District's Installment Payment Plan. Property owners cannot pay by installments if they fail to make the 1st installment payment by this deadline. Additional coupons will be mailed to property owners for payments due October 15, and December 15. If either the 2nd or 3rd installment is not paid by the due date, a penalty of 10% will be applied to that installment. No discounts apply to installment payments. Note: When a payment due date falls on a weekend, the due date will be extended to the next business day.


TAX BILL NAME AND/OR ADDRESS CHANGE INFORMATION

Name and address changes on tax bills can only be made by contacting the Dauphin County Tax Assessment Office at 717-780-6101.


INTERIM REAL ESTATE TAXES

An interim real estate tax bill is issued when assessed value is increased on a property. New construction or additions to an existing building trigger a reassessment by the Dauphin County Tax Assessment Office. As directed by the Dauphin County Tax Assessment Office, an interim tax bill will be issued in August for assessment changes to a property between January and June and in April for assessment changes to a property between July and December. Interim taxes will be levied only if the assessment is increased by $5,000 or more. Interim tax bills are not printed to allow for automated lockbox processing. Interim tax bill payments should be mailed to:

Middletown Area School District Administration Building
55 West Water Street
Middletown, PA  17057

TAX HOTLINE

For questions regarding taxes or tax payments please contact:
717-948-3300, ext. 1018
[email protected]


2023-2024 TAX RATES

Real Estate: 22.69 mills
Earned Income: 1.25%


OTHER TAX INFORMATION

Homestead/Farmstead Information
Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program


TAX CERTIFICATION

TAX CERTIFICATION FORM

In order to have a tax certification processed, we are asking that you submit your request in one of two ways:

1) Mail the request to MASD Tax Office, 55 West Water Street, Middletown, PA  17057, along with a check for $25 (effective as of July 1, 2021), made payable to “Middletown Area School District.”

2) Fax the request along with a copy of the check that you will be sending to the District to 717-948-3329. The District will accept the copy of the check as your intent to pay, so as not to delay the processing. We ask that you please mail the check at your earliest convenience.

With either method, please include the parcel identification number on the memo line of the check. Tax Certification requests without payment, or proof of intent to pay will not be processed.

If you have any questions regarding this notice, please contact the Tax Office, at 717-948-3300, ext 1018.


PER CAPITA TAXES/OCCUPATION TAXES

Beginning in 2002, the school district discontinued the levy of the per capita tax and the occupation tax. The firm of Powell, Rogers, & Speaks continues to collect delinquent per capita and occupation tax bills issued prior to July 1, 2002, for the school district. The municipalities within the Middletown Area School District may still levy the per capita tax and/or the occupation tax and questions regarding these taxes should be directed to the elected tax collector for that municipality.


EARNED INCOME TAX

Voters in the Middletown Area School District approved a referendum question on the November 6, 2001, ballot to increase the earned income tax by 0.75% in order to eliminate the district's occupation tax.

Beginning July 1, 2002, the school district's earned income tax rate became 1.25% (1.75% with the municipality earned income tax rate included). Beginning January 1, 2012, the earned income tax collector for all Dauphin County school districts and municipalities became Keystone Collections Group, as appointed by the Dauphin County Tax Collection Committee that was formed as a requirement of Act 32 of 2008. Questions regarding this tax may be directed to the Keystone Collections Group at 1-866-539-1100.

To file your local earned income tax with Keystone Collections Group, please click here https://keystonecollects.com/pay-file/

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