TRENTON — New Jersey homeowners and renters who have not yet claimed this year’s property tax relief have until Monday, November 2, to file their Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR) application, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation.
The same deadline applies to the Senior Freeze and Stay NJ programs, which seniors claim on the same form.
How Much Residents Can Receive
ANCHOR pays a flat amount based on income and age, using the income reported on line 29 of last year’s New Jersey Income Tax return (Form NJ-1040).
- Renters with income of $150,000 or less receive $450, or $700 if they were 65 or older by December 31 of last year. The $700 figure includes an extra $250 for seniors. Renters with income above $150,000 do not qualify.
- Homeowners with income of $150,000 or less receive $1,500. Those with income between $150,001 and $250,000 receive $1,000. Homeowners with income above $250,000 are not eligible.
Total relief cannot exceed the property taxes paid on the home. Some seniors may also have a property tax credit of up to $50 included in their payment if they did not claim it on a tax return.
Who Needs to File
Many households do not need to take any action. According to the Division of Taxation, most eligible renters and homeowners under 65 were filed for automatically and received an ANCHOR Benefit Confirmation Letter in August. Anyone who received that letter does not need to apply.
The deadline matters most for residents who did not receive a confirmation letter but believe they qualify, seniors, and those receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits. Seniors and disability recipients claim ANCHOR on Form PAS-1, which can be filed online or on paper. Others can file through the state’s online Application for Property Tax Relief. Homeowners who file online verify their identity through ID.me.
Eligibility Rules
Renters must have lived at the address as their main home on October 1 of last year, and the building generally must have been subject to local property taxes. Renters in units covered by a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement may still qualify, as can renters of mobile homes in parks and condominium or cooperative units. Renters in tax-exempt housing owned by a government agency, on-campus college apartments, or buildings owned by religious, charitable or other nonprofit organizations do not qualify.
A renter needs a written lease or rental agreement. Each renter on a lease files a separate application, listing the co-tenants and the total rent for the unit. Someone renting a room qualifies only with a written lease and access to a kitchen and bathroom.
Homeowners must file for the home they owned and lived in on October 1 of last year and must have paid property taxes on it. Vacation or second homes, property rented to others, buildings with more than four units, and smaller buildings with more than one commercial unit are not eligible. Payments in lieu of taxes do not count as property taxes for owners.
Residents who have since moved can still apply, but only for the home they rented or owned on October 1 of last year. The benefit is not taxable income for New Jersey state taxes.
When Payments Arrive
The Division of Taxation began paying ANCHOR benefits on a rolling basis on Tuesday, September 15, usually within 90 days of filing. Paper filers receive a paper check, while online filers can choose a check or direct deposit. Applications filed near the November 2 deadline can expect payment by the end of January. The September 15 cutoff for changing banking details or switching to a paper check has passed.
Senior Freeze and Stay NJ
Older homeowners can combine ANCHOR with Senior Freeze and Stay NJ, all claimed on Form PAS-1.
Stay NJ is open to homeowners who were 65 or older at any point last year, owned and lived in the home all year, and had total income of $200,000 or less. The maximum benefit is $6,500 for incomes up to $100,000, $5,000 for incomes from $100,000.01 to $150,000, and $4,000 for incomes from $150,000.01 to $200,000. Renters are not eligible for Stay NJ.
Stay NJ pays in quarterly installments. The remainder of the prior Stay NJ benefit is split between August and November, and the first payment for the current cycle is scheduled for February, followed by another in May. Senior Freeze payments began Wednesday, July 15.
Each applicant receives one benefit statement showing their Senior Freeze, ANCHOR and Stay NJ amounts side by side.
For more information, call the state’s Property Tax Relief Hotline at (888) 238-1233.
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