May 27, 2023 6:34 pm

Local News

A Pa. Hospital’s Revoked Property Tax Exemption is a ‘Warning Shot’ to Other Nonprofits, Expert Says

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The last time there was a significant push by taxing authorities to challenge the tax-exempt status of hospitals in Pennsylvania was three decades ago. Pittsburgh is now conducting a review of tax-exempt property.

Ashad Hajela | March 13, 2023

HARRISBURG — A Commonwealth Court judge recently revoked a Southeastern Pennsylvania hospital’s property tax exemption and denied appeals regarding three others, decisions that one expert said should serve as a “warning shot” for nonprofit facilities statewide.

In response to a case brought by the Pottstown School District, Judge Christine Fizzano Cannon found that the nonprofit Tower Health system was operating a Montgomery County hospital with the motive of profit. She also upheld rulings that three Chester County hospitals owned by Tower Health aren’t eligible for property tax exemptions.

In Pennsylvania, a nonprofit organization must prove it is a “purely public charity” to qualify for a property tax exemption. The state Supreme Court in a 1985 ruling created five standards. An organization must show it:

To read the rest of this story please visit Public Source, where this story first appeared.

Doula Nonprofit Offers Financial Assistance for State Certification

As state lawmakers in Harrisburg work to combat Pennsylvania’s maternal mortality crisis, an advocacy organization is helping doulas with the cost of obtaining a state certification, a move they hope will bring more people into the field and improve maternal health outcomes across the commonwealth.