The real estate tax refund process follows either a Board of Assessment or a Common Pleas Court Board of Viewers decision to lower the assessed value of your property. Each tax year included in the Board of Assessment decision or Common Pleas Court Board of Viewers decision is transcribed by the Office of Property Assessments in a "Change Order" form, also known as "Form AE".

The "Change Order" or "Form AE" is then distributed to (1) the Allegheny County Treasurer's Office, telephone number 412-350-4105, (2) to the municipal government, (3) to the school district and (4) to the tax collector for the municipal government.

The Allegheny County Treasurer typically issues refund checks before the municipal government or the school district. If no refund has been received from the County Treasurer's Office within 90 days of the date of a decision, it is appropriate to make inquiry to the Country Treasurer's office telephone 412-350-4105 to determine whether the Country Treasurer's office has received a "Change Order" of "Form AE" for the reduction of assessed value. If not, then the Office of Property Assessments telephone 412-350-4682 may be contacted.

Set forth below is a table which includes the phone numbers for every municipal government and school district within Allegheny County. Once there has been a confirmation by the Country Treasurer's office that its staff is processing refunds or by the Office of Property Assessments that a "Change Order" or "Form AE" has been distributed, it makes an abundance of sense to telephone a municipal manager or the municipal manager's department of finance, the school district's business manager and the tax collector to confirm their receipt of the "Change Order" or "Form AE" and to find out the timing for the issuance of refunds.

Some municipal governments and school districts issue refunds to mortgage holders. When mortgage holders and mortgage servicing agents change between the time taxes are paid and real estate tax refunds are processed, there can be confusion and monies can be lost. Due diligence is always required in tracking refunds of real estate taxes from Board of Assessment decisions and Court of Common Pleas Board of Viewers decisions.

Set forth below are contact phone numbers for municipal governments, tax colectors and school districts.