The Department of Revenue has stepped up to ensure that tax and water services are more inclusive for Philadelphia’s linguistically diverse population. Recognizing the necessity of language accommodation, the agency has committed to offering interpretation and translation services, striving to make these essential services accessible to all residents, regardless of their native tongue. According to the City of Philadelphia, here's the scoop on what they've got boiling.
First off, no need to reach for your wallet – these language services won’t cost you a dime. If you're someone whose first language isn’t English, the Department has your back with representatives who speak your language, be it over the phone or face-to-face. They're even accommodating enough to take requests in writing. Just shoot them an email at [email protected]. Between 2022 and 2023, they received 1,935 telephone interpretation requests.
The top three languages on the demand list are Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese, making up 95% of all telephone interpretation requests. But don't worry if you're speaking something a bit less common around Philly; the Department boasts services in over 240 languages, including the series of creole regional tongues.
The Department has gone digital, delivering multi-lingual blogs, social media updates, and videos. They've translated most of their material into several languages—Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, French, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, and Haitian Creole, to name a few. And for those moments that require a human touch, the Department promises to have bilingual staff available at in-person events, or they will bring an external interpreter to bridge any language gaps.
For Spanish speakers, there’s even more good news. The Philadelphia Tax Center website is now in Spanish, too. Users can navigate the tax filing and payment site in Spanish with a simple click on the “Ver en Español” bar. And it’s not just about paying the tax man – water customers with MyPhillyWaterBill accounts can now get alerts and payment confirmations in Spanish via email and SMS. If Spanish is your linguistic home, setting it as your preferred language when dealing with the Department is as easy as logging into your Philadelphia Tax Card Center profile.
