Pennsylvania’s sixty-day tax amnesty program is underway, offering individuals and businesses the opportunity to pay past-due state taxes and have all penalties and half of the interest waived.
The amnesty program began last year, and the state was able to collect about $100 million for this year’s budget. The state contracts with a company called Pioneer Credit Recovery to run the program, which covers over thirty types of unpaid or underpaid taxes that were due by the end of 2015.
Pennsylvania is owed about $3.47 billion in overdue taxes, interest, penalties, and fees, about $1.1 billion of which is from 2005 or before. About 863,000 people and businesses owe the back taxes, including 3,019 in Indiana County. Among our neighbors, 2,098 Armstrong County taxpayers are in arrears; 4,049 owe back taxes in Cambria County; 2,600 owe overdue taxes in Clearfield County; 1,552 in Jefferson County; and 15,026 in Westmoreland County.
Taxpayers have until June 19th to pay their overdue taxes before a five percent penalty kicks in. To apply for tax amnesty and pay your delinquent taxes, visit www.backtax.pa.gov or call 1-844-PA-STATE-TAX (1-844-727-8283).
