Tax Office

Tax certifications can be requested in writing to the Bethlehem Area School District.

Requests must include the taxpayer's name, property location, county parcel ID, municipality, and the tax year. If any of the information required is not included, your request may be delayed.

Please mail your written request along with a $20 processing fee payable to "Bethlehem Area School District" and a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Bethlehem Area School District
Tax Office
1516 Sycamore Street
Bethlehem, PA 18017

Requests can be returned via fax to a local or toll free number or by email.

Tax certifications cover only one (1) tax year. However, every effort will be given to alert requestors of any prior year delinquencies. If a prior year delinquency may exist, you must contact our delinquent collector, Portnoff Law Associates at 866-211-9466, for exact details of any open balance.

Interim bills may not be included in the tax certification for the current year. Any delinquent interim bills must be verified with our delinquent tax collector. Every effort will be made to alert the requestor of such delinquencies.

If you have further questions, please feel free to contact our office at 610-861-0500 Option 2 or email taxoffice@basdschools.org.

Earned Income Tax	Keystone Collections Group 1-888-328-0565 www.keystonecollects.com
Per Capita Tax	Keystone Collections Group 1-888-519-3897 www.keystonecollects.com
Local Services Tax	(City of Bethlehem Residents) Keystone Collections Group 1-888-328-0565 www.keystonecollects.com	(All Other Residents) H.A. Berkheimer 610-599-3142 www.hab-inc.com
Delinquent Real Estate Tax	Portnoff Law Associates 1-866-211-9466 www.portnoffonline.com

Monday - Friday – 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

August 5 & 30, September 16, October 31, and December 9, 2024 - 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

The Tax Office will be CLOSED on the following dates: July 4, September 2, November 28-29, December 23-31, 2024, January 1 & 20, February 17, April 17-18,21, May 26, 2025.

2024-2025 Millage Rate:

59.99 Northampton County
18.74 Lehigh County

The Real Estate Tax is calculated by multiplying the millage rate and the assessed value of the property. (Assessment x millage rate = tax)

Real Estate Tax bills are mailed on or about July 1, 2024 to all school district property owners and may be paid at a 2% discount until August 31, 2024. After October 31, 2024, a 10% penalty is added. This bill represents the tax year of July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.

All taxes not paid by December 31, 2024 are turned over to Portnoff Law Associates for collection.

Due Dates for Full Payment

• August 31, 2024: 2% Discount
• October 31, 2024: Base Tax Due
• After October 31, 2024: 10% Penalty

Due Dates for Installment Payments

• August 5, 2024: 1st Installment Due
• September 16, 2024: 2nd Installment Due
• October 31, 2024: 3rd Installment Due
• December 9, 2024: 4th Installment Due

• A 10% penalty will be applied to late installment payments including payments postmarked after the due dates listed above.
• If installment payments were started, any late installments will incur a penalty even if the full base amount is paid by the base due date.
• There are no discounts on installment payments unless the full tax is paid prior to August 31.
• All four installment coupons were mailed with the original bill.
• NO additional coupons will be mailed.
• You must retain the original bill with the remaining coupons in order to remit payment of the subsequent installments.
• A receipt will be issued after the final payment is received if a self-addressed envelope is provided

 

The envelope postmark is considered the payment date for all mailed payments.

There is no grace period.

Tax bills are mailed to the last known postal address of each property owner. Please contact the BASD Tax Office if you have not received your notice by July 15th.

Address changes are the property owner's responsibility. The property owner must contact the County Assessment Office to complete the required forms to properly change or update the address of record.
Northampton County 610-829-6155 | Lehigh County 610-782-3038

Act of May 25, 1945, P.L. 1050, No. 394, and all amendments through October 1, 1996; The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 7. Effect of Failure to Receive a Tax Notice (Purdon's Statute 72, Section 5511.7)
Failure to receive notice shall not relieve any taxpayer from the payment of any taxes imposed by any taxing district, and such taxpayer shall be charged with his taxes as though he had received notice.

Please make personal checks, cashier's checks or money orders payable to:

     Bethlehem Area School District

Please indicate your Bill Number in the memo portion of your check.

A $30 fee will be issued for returned checks.

Electronic Payment:

When making an ACH payment on-line a Savings Account cannot be used. ACH payment must be from a Checking Account.

Click the links below to pay taxes online.

Installment Tax Payments

Full Tax Payments

SecureTrust Trusted Commerce

 

Online Banking Payments:

Electronic payment made through your online bank MUST reference the six-digit bill number to ensure that your payment is applied to your account properly and expeditiously. Do not use prior year bill or account numbers as they may not be valid for the current year. Please ensure that your payment is mailed to 1516 Sycamore Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017.

Overnight Payments:

Payments mailed via an overnight carrier should be directed to:

Bethlehem Area School District
Tax Office
1516 Sycamore Street
Bethlehem, PA 18017-6099

Payments by mail:

        BETHLEHEM AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT - REAL ESTATE TAXES
        C/O PSDLAF
        PO BOX 824485
        PHILADELPHIA PA 19182-4485

THE ENTIRE ADDRESS MUST BE USED TO ENSURE PROPER DELIVERY.

Please include the bill stub with your payment in the envelope provided.

If no stub is available, please mail to:

Bethlehem Area School District
1516 Sycamore Street
Bethlehem, PA 18017-6099

It is recommended that you mail your payment 5-7 days prior to the due date. If this is not possible, it is best to personally deliver your payment to the postal counter. Do not leave your payment in your personal mailbox or a street side box. There is no guarantee that your envelope will be postmarked that day.

Receipts can only be obtained by including a self-addressed stamped envelope with your payment. Requests must be mailed to Bethlehem Area School District, 1516 Sycamore Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017. If paying the bill in full, please include the top and bottom portions of your bill. The top portion will be returned as your stamped receipt. Official receipts for installment payments will be processed after the final installment is paid.

Receipt requests mailed to the Mt.Laurel address cannot be processed and the envelopes cannot be returned.

Payments in person:

Please bring your entire bill to the Bethlehem Area School District Education Center located at 1516 Sycamore Street during normal business hours of 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday.

Extended hours are available on August 5 & 30, September 16, October 31, and December 9, 2024  - 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

The Tax Office will be CLOSED on the following dates: July 4, September 2, November 28-29, December 23-31, 2024, January 1 & 20, February 17, April 17-18,21, May 26, 2025.

Personal checks, cashier's checks or money orders should be made payable to "Bethlehem Area School District". Please indicate your Bill Number in the memo portion of your check.

A $30 fee will be issued for returned checks.

NO CASH will be accepted.

For your convenience, payments may be placed in the secure drop box located to the right of the main entrance at the top of the ramp at the Education Center on Sycamore Street. The drop box is available 24 hours a day.

Receipts can only be obtained by including a self-addressed stamped envelope with your payment. Requests must be mailed to Bethlehem Area School District, 1516 Sycamore Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017. If paying the bill in full, please include the top and bottom portions of your bill. The top portion will be returned as your stamped receipt. Official receipts for installment payments will be processed after the final installment is paid.

Receipt requests mailed to the Philadelphia address cannot be processed and the envelopes cannot be returned.

Returned Checks	$30.00
Late Payments	10%
Duplicate Bills	$10.00
Credit Card Payments	User fees apply
ACH	$2.50

Interim taxes are levied under ACT 544 of 1953 (Section 677.1) on the increase in assessed valuations of local property as a result of construction or improvements to that property. The interim assessment is calculated by taking the difference between the previous assessment and the new assessment. The Northampton and Lehigh County Assessment Offices provide the District with the assessed value of the new construction or improvement, and the District Tax Office calculates the amount of the tax due using the following formula:

Assessment increase x Millage rate x Time period of interim

 The time period on which the interim billing is based begins when the improvements are completed or, in the case of new construction, the date of occupancy and is calculated based on the District's fiscal year which begins July 1 and ends June 30. The payment due date for your interim tax will vary from your current real estate tax depending on when the change is processed by the County. The payment due dates are printed on the tax bill.

For questions concerning your property's interim assessment, please contact the Northampton County Assessment Office at 610-829-6155 or the Lehigh County Assessment Office at 610-782-3038.

Delinquent taxes are those taxes that were not collected during the original tax period in which they were issued. For tax bills issued on July 1, the property owner has until December 31 to make payment in full. After December 31, the taxes are considered delinquent and all account information is forwarded to the appointed delinquent tax collector and the county tax claim bureau.

Once a property is sent to delinquent tax collection, the school district is no longer involved in the payment or collection process. A lien is placed on the property for the delinquent amount due and all payments made to clear the lien must be made to the delinquent collector. Property owners may call Portnoff Law Associates at 1-866-211-9466 to make payment arrangements or to obtain further information on their account. Delinquent property owners are urged to contact Portnoff Law Associates as soon as possible to avoid additional collection fees.

• Governor Rendell signed Special Session Act 1 of 2006 (PDF), the Taxpayer Relief Act, on June 27, 2006. This law will ease the financial burden of home ownership by providing school districts the means to lower property taxes to homeowners via the funding provided by gaming revenue.

  In order to be eligible for a property tax reduction, you must have applied for and been approved by the county assessment office for the homestead or farmstead exclusion by March 1st. If you are a new resident or have not previously applied for the Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion, please contact the Northampton County Assessment Office at 610-829-6155 or the Lehigh County Assessment Office at 610-782-3038.

  Northampton County Application for Homestead & Farmstead Exclusion

  Lehigh County Application for Homestead & Farmstead Exclusion

  Under a homestead or farmstead property tax exclusion, the assessed value of each homestead or farmstead is reduced by the same amount before the property tax is computed.