Chambersburg Area School District

Taxpayer Information

Chambersburg Area School District levies the following taxes: Real Estate Tax, Earned Income Tax, Local Services Tax, and Real Estate Transfer Tax.

Regular Tax Notices

The regular Chambersburg Area School District Real Estate Tax notice is mailed to district residents on or about July 1 of each year. Payments must be postmarked or received by your Tax Collector within the following periods:

• Discount period: July 1 - August 31
• Face period: September 1 - October 31
• Penalty period: November 1 – December 31

Interim Tax Notices

Interim Chambersburg Area School District Real Estate Tax notices are mailed to applicable residents on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 each year. Interim Real Estate Taxes result from additional assessments to your land and building values during the tax year. Some examples include new home construction, pool installation and building additions. Each installment has a 2 month discount and 2 month face period. Each interim tax notice also has a penalty period that extends to December 31.

Assessment Information

The tax is based on the assessed value of your land and building, which is determined by the Franklin County Tax Office. The assessment value can be found on your real estate bill. The assessment value is not the market value. To verify your property’s assessment value, you may contact the Franklin County Tax Office by phone at (717) 261-3801, email at taxservices@franklincountypa.gov or visit them online at http://franklincountypa.gov.

The 2021-2022 millage rate for Chambersburg Area School District is 122.4974 mills. You can calculate your tax by multiplying the millage rate by your property’s assessed value.

It is the taxpayer’s responsibility to see that their taxes are paid. For that reason, the bill is mailed to the property owner. If the property owner has an escrow account with their bank or mortgage company, the taxpayer must forward the bill to them for payment. Please follow-up with the bank or mortgage company to ensure the payment has been made.

Delinquent Real Estate Taxes

After December 31 of each year, all unpaid taxes (regular and interim tax notices) are turned over for collection to Franklin County Tax Claim Bureau.

Earned Income Tax and Local Services Tax

EIT (Earned Income Tax) is withheld based on where you live and LST (Local Services Tax) is withheld based on where you work.

Residents of the Chambersburg Area School District are required to pay 1.70% of their earned income (salaries, wages, business profits, etc.). The District receives 1.20% and the resident’s borough/municipality receives 0.50%.

Individuals employed within Chambersburg Borough and Guilford Township have an LST rate of $52.00 which is withheld according to the employer’s pay practices (weekly/bi-weekly, etc).

Individuals employed within Greene, Hamilton, Letterkenny, and Lurgan Townships have an LST rate of $10.00 which is withheld on the first paycheck during the calendar year.

Pennsylvania employers will deduct EIT and LST from your pay. If you are self-employed, you must pay the required amount of EIT and LST to the Franklin County Area Tax Bureau by April 15 for the preceding calendar year, and are subject to quarterly estimated payments.

Franklin County Area Tax Bureau (FCATB)

FCATB is the EIT/LST collector for the District. For additional information or forms, please visit https://www.fcatb.org. Additionally, FCATB can be contacted by phone at (717) 263-5141 or fax at (717) 263-4563.

Political Subdivision (PSD) Codes for Local EIT and LST purposes are as follows:

Chambersburg Borough – 280101

Greene Township – 280102

Guilford Township – 280103

Hamilton Township – 280104

Letterkenny Township – 280105

Lurgan Township – 280106

Real Estate Transfer Tax

Upon the sale of real estate property, a 2% transfer tax is levied. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania levies 1%, your local municipality levies 0.5% and the School District levies 0.5%. This tax is collected at settlement.

Homestead & Farmstead Exclusion

The Taxpayer Relief Act – Act 1 of Special Session 1 of 2006 provides the homestead and/or farmstead exclusion to qualifying properties, as a means of reducing school real estate taxes. These exclusions are managed by the Franklin County Tax Office. The Application for Homestead & Farmstead Exclusions with instructions is located at the link below:

https://franklincountypa.gov/index.php?section=tax-services_homestead

If you need assistance, then please call the Franklin County Tax Office at (717) 261-3801.

PA Property Tax Rebate Program

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue offers a property tax rebate program. If you are 65 or older, a widow or widower (50 or older) or permanently disabled, owning and occupying a home in the District, you could qualify. For additional information, click on the link below:

https://www.revenue.pa.gov/IncentivesCreditsPrograms/PropertyTaxRentRebateProgram/Pages/default.aspx 

If you need assistance, please call 1-888-222-9190 during normal business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Local Taxpayer Bill of Rights Policy

This policy can be found at https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/casdpa/Board.nsf/Public# . Go to Policies, 600 Finances, 621 Local Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

If you have any questions regarding information found on this site, please contact the District at (717) 263-9281