PHILADELPHIA — When Mehmet Oz bought a bucolic farmhouse in Montgomery County last year, he not only acquired property in the state where he’s running for Senate, he also scored a $50,000-a-year tax break.
While the purchase seemed designed to put to rest questions about Oz’s ties to the Keystone State that continue to dog his campaign, the large tax rebate could provide ammunition for Democrats seeking to paint Oz as a wealthy, out-of-touch carpetbagger from New Jersey. And while owning property may signal the celebrity doctor’s commitment to Pennsylvania, he’s still not living in the home — and it’s unclear when he will be.
The cardiothoracic surgeon and former daytime TV personality’s use of the tax incentive is totally legal and was in place decades before Oz purchased the property, according to local officials and public records.
