Tax Comparison Calculator
This calculator is intended to help Wilkinsburg residents understand how a merger will impact their property and income taxes—the most significant kinds of taxes associated with where we live. It is not inclusive of all taxes or fees associated with purchasing and owning a home, or with living in Wilkinsburg. For more information about other taxes and fees, please read the details included below your results.
None of the information you enter into the tool is collected or saved.
Wilkinsburg charges an additional $200 Municipal Services Fee for trash and recycling collection each year. If we merge with the City, property owners will no longer owe this fee—trash and recycling are covered by property taxes in Pittsburgh. (Some renters are also responsible for paying this fee each year as a utility under their rental agreement.)
Social Security, unemployment benefits, alimony, and child support are not considered earned income for tax purposes. If you earn this kind of income, you can leave it out of the amount you enter as income in the calculator above. As a result, Wilkinsburg’s most vulnerable residents—including the elderly and those on public assistance—are less likely to be affected by the increased income tax.
If you have a Housing Choice Voucher or live in a building with a rental subsidy, the value of your voucher or subsidy won’t change based on the merger. HUD sets maximum fair market rents for the Pittsburgh region. Maximum fair market rents vary within and around Pittsburgh, but are not determined by local government. Area Median Income (AMI) and income limits used by HUD are area wide. All of Allegheny County is a part of the Pittsburgh HUD Metro FRM Area.
The property tax millage used above includes all annual property taxes for each municipality. Wilkinsburg’s property tax millage is a combination of municipal (10.59 mils), library (0.47 mils), and debt service payment (2.94 mils). Pittsburgh’s millage includes municipal (8.06), Carnegie Libraries (0.25 mils), and Pittsburgh Parks (0.5 mils).
This calculator does not include the Realty Transfer Tax (RTT), a tax collected from homebuyers at the time of recording a property deed. The total RTT rate in Wilkinsburg is 2% (0.5% for the Borough, 0.5% for the School District, and 1% for the State of Pennsylvania). The RTT rate in Pittsburgh is 5% (3% for the City, 1% for Pittsburgh Public Schools, and 1% for the State of Pennsylvania). While the RTT is higher in the City, their annual property taxes are much lower. The RTT is only paid one time while property taxes are paid every year. Homeowners will come out ahead within 1–2 years of ownership under the City’s tax structure.