Taxes in Reading
Reading layers a genuinely elevated local Earned Income Tax and a severely elevated effective property-tax rate on top of Pennsylvania's simple flat 3.07% state income tax.
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Learn moreAn Act 47-enhanced local Earned Income Tax
Reading's resident EIT (city + school district combined) is cited at 3.60% by the Berks Earned Income Tax Bureau -- enhanced under Pennsylvania's Act 47 financially-distressed-municipality program, above the ordinary Act 511 local cap. Non-residents working in Reading pay 1.00%. A separately-cited, notably lower 2.1% figure conflicts with this -- confirm the current, precise rate directly with BEIT.
A severely elevated effective property-tax rate
Reading's median effective property tax rate ran 6.46% per Ownwell -- multiples above Pennsylvania's own 1.26% Tax Foundation-cited statewide average -- with real ZIP-level variation from 4.40% to 9.42%.
A standard flat Local Services Tax also applies
A $52/year flat Local Services Tax ($47 City + $5 school district) applies to anyone employed within Reading, regardless of residence.
Key takeaways
- Reading's resident EIT is cited at 3.60% (Berks EIT Bureau) -- enhanced under Act 47 above Pennsylvania's ordinary local cap.
- Reading's effective property-tax rate (6.46% median) runs multiples above Pennsylvania's own statewide average.
- A standard $52/year flat Local Services Tax applies to anyone employed within the city.
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