Written & Reviewed by
New Jersey property tax relief
Last updated: 19 October 2026
New Jersey has one combined state application for three major programs, but each benefit has its own rules. File for the 2025 tax year before the November deadline.
Bottom Line
Most homeowners age 65 or older should file Form PAS-1 by November 2, 2026. It lets the New Jersey Division of Taxation check ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ together. Filing does not mean you qualify for all three. The June 2026 state budget changed Stay NJ payments and reduced its 2027 income ceiling to $200,000. Do not use older $500,000 Stay NJ rules to predict a 2027 payment.
Deadline if You Have Not Filed
The deadline for the 2025 PAS-1 application, filed in 2026, is Monday, November 2, 2026. The official PAS-1 instructions say online applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. that day; paper forms need a postmark no later than that date. Do not wait until 2027 to apply.
Start Here
- Senior homeowner or disability recipient: use the state’s property tax relief application or get the paper PAS-1 form.
- Renter or younger homeowner: read the ANCHOR filing rules. Many renters and younger nondisabled owners had ANCHOR filed automatically; check your notice and status instead of assuming.
- Need help filing: call the Division’s property tax relief line, 1-888-238-1233, or see the state office locations. Check hours before traveling.
Which Program Should You Check?
| Program | Main purpose | Key 2025 test |
|---|---|---|
| ANCHOR | Property tax benefit for owners or renters | Main home on October 1; income limits differ for owners and renters |
| Senior Freeze | Reimburses a rise over a property’s base-year tax bill | Age or qualifying disability, long enough ownership and residence, income tests for two years |
| Stay NJ | Additional senior homeowner property tax relief, subject to an overall calculation | Age 65+, full-year ownership and residence, 2027 payment rules |
These are benefits and reimbursements, not home-repair grants or loans. For other states, see property tax relief by state.
What Has Changed
The June 30, 2026 state budget changed Stay NJ in ways that older official booklets may not show. For 2025 property taxes, with Stay NJ payments in 2027, the Division’s current Stay NJ guidance says income may not exceed $200,000. It now lists income-based maximums.
The original 2025 PAS-1 booklet still shows a $500,000 Stay NJ screening limit. That booklet was prepared before the budget. The Division’s newer Stay NJ page and combined-program FAQ give the updated 2027 payment rule. You can still use the PAS-1 filing instructions, but do not treat that older income figure as the current Stay NJ payout rule.
The Division’s 2025 ANCHOR benefit table also shows $1,500 or $1,000 for homeowners, not the older $1,750 or $1,250 senior homeowner figures. The separate senior renter benefit remains listed as $700.
Rules for Each Program
ANCHOR: Owners and Renters
ANCHOR stands for Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters. For the 2025 benefit, homeowners must have occupied their main New Jersey home on October 1, 2025, with 2025 New Jersey gross income of $250,000 or less. Renters have a $150,000 income limit and must meet the state’s rental-home rules.
The state lists homeowner benefits of $1,500 for gross income up to $150,000 and $1,000 for income from $150,001 to $250,000. Eligible renters age 65 or older in 2025 have a listed $700 benefit. Some older residents may also receive a separate $50 New Jersey property tax credit if it was not claimed on their income tax return; the Division checks this. These figures remain subject to the combined property-tax-benefit cap.
Senior homeowners and certain Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability recipients must file PAS-1 themselves. Other homeowners and renters should check whether the Division filed ANCHOR automatically. See ANCHOR eligibility and filing. ANCHOR payments for 2025 began September 15, 2026, on a rolling basis; extra review can delay a payment.
Senior Freeze: Reimbursement of Tax Increases
Senior Freeze, formally Property Tax Reimbursement, compares property taxes billed for an eligible base year with the current year’s bill. It does not freeze the actual tax bill. A qualifying mobile homeowner may be reimbursed based on 18% of site fees.
For the 2025 program, you or a qualifying spouse generally needed to be 65 or older by December 31, 2025, or actually receiving qualifying federal disability benefits. You must generally have owned and lived in the home since December 31, 2022. The official Senior Freeze eligibility rules require total annual income at or below $168,268 for 2024 and $172,475 for 2025. Both years matter; the household income method may differ from the ANCHOR test.
Use PAS-1. Former recipients should check the prefilled base-year value. The state calculation and schedule explains that a tax increase is required for a reimbursement. Life estates and some long leases have document rules. A home with payments in lieu of taxes (P.I.L.O.T.) does not qualify for this program.
Stay NJ: What 2027 Can Pay
Stay NJ is for eligible homeowners who were at least 65 in 2025 and owned and lived in their New Jersey home throughout January 1–December 31, 2025. A home subject to property taxes or P.I.L.O.T. may qualify. Renters and mobile homeowners cannot receive Stay NJ.
For the 2025 application, the 2027 Stay NJ income ceiling is $200,000. The state publishes the following annualized maximum benefit levels, not a promise that each household will receive that amount in the February and May payments:
| Annual income | Annualized maximum |
|---|---|
| $0–$100,000 | $6,500 |
| $100,000.01–$150,000 | $5,000 |
| $150,000.01–$200,000 | $4,000 |
| Over $200,000 | $0 |
The Division expressly says the full annualized amounts assume no changes in the following fiscal year’s budget. Check Stay NJ benefit guidance and your own benefit notice. Do not add the maximum to ANCHOR and Senior Freeze as if each were an independent full payment.
Do Not Mix Up the Tax, Filing and Payment Years
| Period | What happens | Reader action |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 tax year | Earlier Stay NJ claim; remaining 2026 installments reflect the revised budget | Check the older-year payment status |
| 2025 tax year | Year measured for the current PAS-1 application | Submit in 2026 by November 2 |
| 2026 | Senior Freeze and ANCHOR 2025 benefits paid on schedules | Review payment or determination notice |
| 2027 | 2025 Stay NJ payments scheduled for February and May | Check official status, not an assumed annual lump sum |
For 2024 Stay NJ, the June 2026 budget split the remaining 2026 benefit between August and November, producing less total 2026 relief than previously expected. That is separate from 2027 payments. Check 2025 benefit status or the agency’s older-year inquiry route.
Can the Benefits Be Combined?
Yes, someone may qualify for more than one program. PAS-1 asks the Division to calculate the programs together; it is not three separate checks at their full advertised maximums. Stay NJ uses a calculation that takes other property tax relief into account. The state says the total property tax relief from the named programs, including certain deductions, cannot exceed eligible taxes paid on the main home for the same year.
Example: A homeowner who receives ANCHOR and Senior Freeze should not add the top Stay NJ amount to both when making a household budget. The final Stay NJ amount may be smaller, even zero, depending on the Division’s calculation. Wait for the benefit statement. Read the Senior Freeze calculation explanation before relying on any estimate.
How to Apply Without Losing Time
- Confirm whether PAS-1 is your form. It is for older residents and certain disability recipients. Check other ANCHOR routes if it does not fit.
- Gather your 2024 and 2025 New Jersey income returns, Social Security statements, property tax bills or rent records, and county/municipal code, block, lot and qualifier if you own a home.
- Use the official filing instructions. Online applicants may need to verify identity with ID.me. If this is a problem, ask about paper filing rather than skipping the deadline.
- Keep the online reference number or a copy of the signed paper application and mailing proof. Watch for letters requesting more information.
- Check the state status service rather than submitting duplicates. The official questions page explains income reporting and the combined filing process.
Extra care: Trusts, life estates, 99-year leases, a spouse who owns the deed, and moves between homes can require special answers or documents. If you did not file an NJ-1040, the PAS-1 instructions still provide an income worksheet. Do not assume that having no taxable income means you cannot apply.
Local Property Tax Relief Still Matters
PAS-1 does not apply for New Jersey’s separate $250 Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Deduction. Eligible homeowners apply with their municipal assessor or tax collector using Form PTD. The local rules include age or disability, income, ownership and residence tests; qualifying surviving spouses or civil union partners may have a route too. The state says approved recipients must submit Form PD-5 by March 1 each year to maintain the deduction. See the municipal deduction requirements.
There is also a separate New Jersey income-tax property tax deduction or $50 credit for some residents filing their income taxes. That is not the same as PAS-1 or the municipal $250 deduction. Check income-tax property relief rules to avoid claiming the wrong benefit twice.
Your municipal tax collector handles bills, balances and delinquency questions; your assessor handles records, ownership and some deductions. Assessment appeals are a different process. The assessment appeals guide warns that some counties use a different calendar. A challenge to assessed value is not the same thing as asking the Division to review a PAS-1 benefit.
Reality Checks and Common Mistakes
- Pay your tax bill: a future reimbursement does not automatically stop a tax sale, interest or local collection action. Call the tax collector if you are behind.
- Do not use one income test for all three programs. Senior Freeze may count income sources that ANCHOR does not count in the same way.
- Keep home types separate: mobile homeowners may qualify for Senior Freeze, and mobile-home residents may be treated as renters for ANCHOR, but they do not qualify for Stay NJ.
- Beware unsolicited messages: do not share bank or identity details through a link in an unexpected text. Start with the official relief site.
Denied, Delayed, or Facing a Tax Sale?
For low payments or denials, read the Division’s letter. Compare the correct tax year, ownership record, income calculation and filed application. Ask the tax relief phone line what document or correction process applies to your case. Do not assume that a county assessment appeal is the appeal process for a state program decision.
If you are already behind on property taxes, call your municipal tax collector now and ask about the balance, interest, deadlines, and possible payment arrangements. A pending tax relief benefit is not a promise that collection will stop. For broader hardship referrals, see New Jersey emergency assistance or New Jersey housing help.
For form help, a New Jersey aging office may help you find local support. The New Jersey benefits portals guide explains other state application routes. For general help beyond tax relief, use the New Jersey senior benefits guide.
What to Say When Calling
Division of Taxation: PAS-1
“I am filing for 2025 property tax relief. Is PAS-1 the right form, and how can I confirm you received it before November 2?”
Stay NJ payment question
“My income is near the new Stay NJ limit. Can you tell me which 2027 payment rule applies and when I will get a determination?”
Municipal tax collector
“My property tax bill is overdue. What is the exact balance, and are any tax sale dates or payment arrangements available?”
Municipal assessor
“I want to check the $250 senior deduction. Do you have my PTD, and must I submit PD-5 this year?”
Resumen en español
En Nueva Jersey, muchas personas de 65 años o más deben presentar el formulario PAS-1 para solicitar ANCHOR, Senior Freeze y Stay NJ. El plazo para solicitar los beneficios del año fiscal 2025 es el 2 de noviembre de 2026. Para pagos de Stay NJ en 2027, el estado fija ahora un límite de ingresos de $200,000. No use el límite antiguo de $500,000 para calcular estos pagos. Llame al 1-888-238-1233 si necesita ayuda. Si la solicitud es rechazada, pida por escrito la razón y cómo corregirla. La deducción municipal de $250 requiere un trámite separado.
Questions and Answers
Is PAS-1 three separate applications?
No. Eligible older residents and certain disability recipients use one PAS-1 form. The Division decides which of the three programs each applicant qualifies for.
What is the November 2, 2026 deadline for?
It is the deadline to file the 2025 property tax relief application in 2026. Some benefits from that application, including Stay NJ, are scheduled to be paid in 2027.
Can someone with $300,000 income get Stay NJ in 2027?
Not under the 2027 Stay NJ payment rules now published by the Division. The updated income limit is $200,000. A higher figure in the earlier PAS-1 booklet predates the June 2026 budget.
Can a renter use PAS-1?
A renter who is age 65 or older or receives a qualifying disability benefit may use PAS-1 for ANCHOR screening. Most other eligible renters were filed automatically or use the separate ANCHOR route. Renters do not qualify for Stay NJ or Senior Freeze.
Does Senior Freeze stop my tax bill from rising?
No. It may reimburse an eligible rise over the base-year amount. You still need to deal with the tax collector when bills are due.
About This Guide
This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article.
Editorial note
This guide is produced based on our Editorial Standards using official and other high-trust sources, regularly updated and monitored, but not affiliated with any government agency and not a substitute for official agency guidance. Individual eligibility outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
Corrections
Please note that despite our careful verification process, errors may still occur. Email info@grantsforseniors.org with corrections and we will respond within 72 hours.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal, financial, medical, tax, disability-rights, immigration, or government-agency advice. Program rules, policies, and availability can change. Readers should confirm current details directly with the official program before acting.
Last updated: 19 October 2026 · Next review: 17 January 2027
About the Authors