AL DÍA hosted a roundtable discussion Tuesday morning with Clarena Tolson, City Hall’s revenue commissioner. Tolson cited a few underutilized tax aid programs for Philadelphia homeowners, and had a some words of advice for taxpayers in the remaining weeks before Tax Day.

“It’s important that everyone pays their fair share,” Tolson says. “It really is a concept I believe in. However, I also believe that if your fair share is $100 on a $2000 tax bill —  because that’s all you’re able to pay or that’s where your taxes are frozen because you’re impoverished — then that is your fair share. And it’s my job to make sure that you know that, to encourage you to sign up, and to take advantage of it.”

There’s a lot of money on the table via local and federal programs, especially for low-income residents.

The Earned Income Tax Credit Program is the most basic. It will reduce the amount of taxes you owe as a low-income resident, as well as give you a tax credit. The application needs to be filed by April 15th, 2015.

Remember that you can get free tax help. You don’t need to go to tax preparers who charge a fee. Even if you may be getting thousands of dollars back on your tax return, the few hundred dollars in tax preparation cost is money the city would rather you save (or put towards your back taxes). The Municipal Services Building next to City Hall offers free tax prep help, and there are over a dozen other free tax service locations that Tolson recommends on the government website. Also, if you made under $65k this year, the Benefit Bank will help you file free online.

For homeowners:

Want to save $402? The Homestead Exemption is a program for homeowners living in their homes in Philadelphia regardless of income. In essence, it reduces your taxable property value by $30,000 — roughly $402 in taxes. If your home is worth $100,000, Homestead reassesses the property to a $70,000 taxable property. A $30,000 home drops to a $0. All you need to do is fill out a simple form or make a phone call.

Long-term Philly homeowners, there’s still time to apply for the Longtime Owner Occupancy Program (LOOP). Tolson says there are tons of LOOP-eligible properties that have not taken advantage of the program, which was implemented partly to prevent displacement caused by rising real estate taxes associated with gentrification. You might be eligible if you’re paying three times the taxes on your home that you were 10 years ago. Even if you’re unsure, fill out the short eligibility application. If you do qualify for LOOP, your property taxes could be reset to a previous tax rate.

“This is a definitely a case where the city is here to help,” Tolson said. “It’s real assistance that works out to real dollars, and we want people to take advantage of it.”

For more information about real estate tax assistance, contact the city at (215)-686-6442.