Important tax & utility reminders

Rep. David M. Delloso April 4, 2025

PA Representative David Delloso banner image

Dear Neighbor,

The deadline to file your state income tax is April 15.

While we only have a couple weeks left, I want to remind you to take advantage of the state’s Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit. This program is modeled on the federal version that was introduced a few years ago. If you are eligible for the federal tax credit, you will be matched 100% for the state credit as well.

To qualify, you must have one of the following:

A dependent child under age 13.
A spouse who was physically or mentally incapable of self-care and lived with you for more than half the year.
An individual who was physically or mentally incapable of self-care, lived with you for more than half the year, and either:
- Was your dependent; or
- Could have been your dependent, except that he or she received gross income of $4,400 or more, filed a joint return, or could have been claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer's return.

If you meet these criteria, you can receive anywhere from $600 to $2,100, depending on your income and the number of dependents you claim.

Pennsylvania State Rep. David M. Delloso

Upcoming Events

FYI

LIHEAP energy assistance application deadline extended to April 18

Pennsylvania has extended the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) application deadline to April 18. LIHEAP provides cash and crisis grants to help low-income households, older adults, and people with disabilities afford home heating costs. Despite federal staffing cuts, this season's LIHEAP program remains unchanged, and eligible residents struggling with heating bills are urged to apply before the new deadline.

LIHEAP offers cash grants ranging from $200 to $1,000 and crisis grants between $25 and $1,000 for those facing heating emergencies. Eligibility is based on income, with households earning up to 150% of the Federal Poverty Limit qualifying. Applications can be submitted online, by phone, or at local assistance offices. More information is available on DHS' website or by contacting my district office.

REMINDER: the PUC does NOT call individuals to demand payment for any utility

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has issued a consumer alert warning about a scam involving telephone calls that falsely claim to be from the PUC – using the phone number of the Commission’s Philadelphia office as the caller ID.

The PUC was informed about this scam by concerned consumers who say they received suspicious phone calls appearing to come from the Commission. These scam callers are fraudulently using the PUC’s phone number in their caller ID – a practice known as "spoofing" – to mislead consumers and pressure them into making payments.

According to reports from consumers and staff:

The callers claim to be representatives of the PUC.
They tell consumers that PECO, PPL, or another utility has reported a request to switch the consumer to a different utility or energy supplier.
If the consumer questions the switch, the scammers claim to have a voice recording of the consumer authorizing it.
The caller then falsely states that the only way to cancel the switch and remain with the utility is to pay a cancellation fee immediately – or face termination of service.

The PUC has reported this incident to law enforcement and is reaching out to utilities across the state to alert them about these potential scam calls and to gather any relevant information they may have from their customer service teams or fraud prevention units.

Please note the following tips to protect yourself against utility scams:

Do not provide personal or financial information to unsolicited callers. Hang up immediately.
Do not pay unknown callers or provide them with personal information such utility account information, bank account details, credit card, driver license, date of birth, social security number, or address information.
Never trust caller ID alone. Scammers can spoof legitimate phone numbers to make the call appear credible.
Contact your utility or supplier directly using the phone number on your bill if you have questions about your account or a potential switch.
Be aware that utilities may contact customers by phone if a bill is seriously overdue, but these calls are usually part of a broader series of written and electronic notices about a delinquent account or possible termination. If you're unsure whether a call is legitimate, always contact your utility’s official customer service hotline.
Report suspicious calls to your utility and the PUC’s Bureau of Consumer Services at
1-800-692-7380 or online at www.puc.pa.gov.
File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP.
Consider blocking or screening unknown numbers.

Department of Revenue Tax Forms

You may visit my office to get your 2024 Property Tax/Rent Rebate booklets and 2024 PA-40 Income Tax forms, as well as some of the schedule forms. Just ask my staff at either of our district offices in Ridley Park or Darby Township.

As a reminder, my staff is happy to assist you with the Property/Tax Rent Rebate, but they are not trained to help with income tax preparation. If you’re a senior, the AARP is providing free tax preparation through April 15th. To schedule, call one of their locations, which you can find out here: AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Locator.