New Jersey property tax relief deadline is approaching. Here’s where to find free filing help

I’ve spent nearly 50 years living by a radio clock. If you miss the top of the hour, everyone notices.

Miss this filing deadline, and no one notices at all. The money simply never arrives.

Residents have until Monday, Nov. 2, to apply for ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ.

Do you need to file?

Maybe not. The state’s rules break down this way:

• Homeowners under 65 and most renters: The state already filed for many people automatically and mailed confirmation letters on Aug. 10. If you received one, you do not need to do anything else.
• No letter? Submit your own application at propertytaxreliefapp.nj.gov before Nov. 2.
• 65 and older, or receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits: You must file the PAS-1 yourself. The state will not submit it for you, even if you qualify for only one of the three programs.

Free help with filing, day by day

Division of Taxation staff will help complete the application with you. The remaining in-person sessions on the state schedule are below:

• Tuesday: Hazlet, James J. Cullen Center, 1776 Union Ave., 1 to 5 p.m.; Hackensack Civic Center, 215 State St., 1 to 5 p.m.
• Wednesday: Glassboro, 711 N. Main St., 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.; Paterson, 165 5th Ave., 4 to 8 p.m.
• Thursday: Ewing, Hollowbrook Community Center, 320 Hollowbrook Drive, 9 a.m. to noon; South Orange, 5 Mead St., 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Trenton, South Village Apartments, 312 Lalor St., 3 to 5 p.m.
• Saturday: Newark, 142-144 Wilson Ave., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Trenton, Assembly of God Church, 50 N. Clinton Ave., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Sunday: Bayonne Public Library, 697 Avenue C, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; West Orange, 650 Pleasant Valley Way, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Kearny Town Hall, 402 Kearny Ave., 3 to 6 p.m.
• Deadline day: Trenton, Division of Taxation, 3 John Fitch Way, first floor, 4:30 to 8 p.m.

Notice what is missing? After Glassboro, there are no more South Jersey events. No sessions remain in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Ocean or Burlington counties.

As a Mays Landing kid, that one hurts. If you live there, your best options are a Regional Information Center or a phone appointment. More on that below.

What to bring

Seniors and disability recipients should review the PAS-1 checklist before they go. According to the Division of Taxation, you should have:

• Your 2024 and 2025 property tax details, including block, lot and tax amounts
• Gross income from your 2024 and 2025 NJ-1040
• Your SSA-1099 for Social Security income

If you are under 65, you only need a government-issued photo ID at an event.

Filing on your own

• Online: You will verify your identity through ID.me, so have a driver’s license, state ID or passport ready. The PAS-1 instructions say online filings must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the deadline.
• Paper: It is considered on time if it is postmarked by the deadline.
• By phone: Call the hotline at 1-888-238-1233. If you cannot get through, schedule a phone appointment.

One more warning: The state says never click links in unsolicited texts or emails about property tax relief. Deadline week is when scammers tend to be most active.

You paid in all year. Don’t leave it in Trenton.

Share of your tax bill going to schools vs. municipality

How your property tax bill is divided depends on where you live. The state’s data shown here is for 2025.

Gallery Credit: New Jersey 101.5