When is the property assessment appeal deadline in Pennsylvania?
When is the property assessment appeal deadline in Pennsylvania?
Most Pennsylvania counties set the annual assessment appeal deadline at September 1, though a county may move it as early as August 1; Allegheny and Philadelphia run their own calendars (Allegheny ~September 1, Philadelphia the first Monday in October).
Pennsylvania uses a prior-year, county-set appeal calendar — you appeal in the year before the tax year, and the exact date varies by county.
The statewide default. Under 53 Pa.C.S. §8844(c), any owner who wants to appeal must file with the county Board of Assessment Appeals on or before September 1. The same section lets the county commissioners designate an earlier date no earlier than August 1, provided the published notice runs at least two weeks before that date. So in most counties the deadline is September 1, but a minority move it up to August 1. Appeals must be heard and decided no later than October 31, with written notice of the decision by November 15.
Allegheny County runs its own annual-appeal window through the Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review (BPAAR). For the 2026 tax year the county set a filing window of July 1 through September 2, 2025 — earlier than the prior March 31 dates — so always confirm the current year's window with Allegheny County before relying on a fixed date.
Philadelphia is different again. A formal market-value appeal to the Board of Revision of Taxes (BRT) must be filed by the first Monday in October of the year before the tax year — October 5, 2026 for tax year 2027. Philadelphia also offers an optional First Level Review (FLR) through the Office of Property Assessment.
Special situations reset the clock: new owners, late assessment notices, and interim assessments typically get 30 or 40 days from the relevant notice. Because deadlines move and a missed date usually forfeits the year, verify your specific county's date on its official assessment-office page each season.