New Jersey · Property tax exemptions · Updated Oct 2026
New Jersey property tax exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, disability and surviving-spouse breaks in New Jersey: what each one is worth, who qualifies, how to apply and the deadline, in plain English.
A yearly payment from the statehomestead exemption
Yessenior break
Full exemption (100% rating)disabled veterans
November 2homestead deadline
2.11%median tax rate
Exemptions by group
Every break for one group on one page, with step-by-step instructions and the tools set for that group.
Your municipal tax assessor (or tax collector) handles the $250 senior/disabled and veteran deductions and the 100% disabled veteran exemption. The state Division of Taxation runs ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ, which you claim on one state application (Form PAS-1 for seniors and disability recipients).
ANCHOR (Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters)
A yearly payment from the state: $1,500 if your 2025 New Jersey gross income was $150,000 or less, $1,000 if it was $150,001 to $250,000. For the 2025 benefit year the state's table shows no extra $250 for homeowners 65+ (the law that paid it covered only state fiscal years 2024-2026); seniors who did not claim the $50 property tax credit get that $50 added.
Who qualifies
You owned and lived in a New Jersey home as your main residence on October 1, 2025, it was subject to property tax, and your NJ gross income (NJ-1040 line 29) was $250,000 or less. Second homes and rented-out property do not count.
Income limit
$250,000 New Jersey gross income for 2025.
How to apply
The state filed automatically for most homeowners under 65 (confirmation letters mailed Aug. 10, 2026). If you got no letter, file the Application for Property Tax Relief online (ID.me verification) or on paper. Seniors 65+ and people on Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability must file Form PAS-1 themselves. Have your block/lot, municipality code and property tax amount from your tax bill.
Every year (automatic for many under-65 homeowners).
Law
Homestead Property Tax Credit Act, P.L.1990, c.61, as amended (N.J.S.A. 54:4-8.57 et seq.; homeowner benefit at 54:4-8.59), with amounts set in each year's appropriations act. Senior add-on: N.J.S.A. 54:4-8.61a (P.L.2023, c.75, s.15), limited to fiscal years 2024-2026.
The state pays you back any increase in your property tax over your 'base year' (the first year you qualified), so your net tax stays frozen.
Who qualifies
You or your spouse were 65 or older on December 31, 2025, or were receiving Social Security disability or Railroad Retirement disability benefits by that date. You have owned and lived in the home since December 31, 2022 or earlier and still did on December 31, 2025. Property must be taxed (not P.I.L.O.T.). Not for second homes, rentals or fully exempt homes.
Income limit
Total household income $168,268 or less for 2024 and $172,475 or less for 2025 (2025 application).
How to apply
File Form PAS-1 online or on paper with the NJ Division of Taxation. Include proof of property taxes paid; include your deed or life estate document if you hold a life estate.
A quarterly state payment toward your property tax, coordinated with your ANCHOR and Senior Freeze benefits. 2027 maximum (for the 2025 tax year): $6,500 if income is $100,000 or less; $5,000 for $100,000.01-$150,000; $4,000 for $150,000.01-$200,000; nothing over $200,000. The 2025-year benefit is paid in February and May 2027.
Who qualifies
Homeowners (not renters or mobile home owners) who were 65 or older during 2025 (you or your spouse), owned and lived in the home all 12 months of 2025, and whose home is subject to property tax or P.I.L.O.T.
Income limit
$200,000 total annual income (calculated as for Senior Freeze), FY2027 budget.
How to apply
File Form PAS-1 (the same application covers Senior Freeze, ANCHOR and Stay NJ).
$250 Property Tax Deduction for Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons
$250 off your property tax bill each year.
Who qualifies
Age 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled (or blind), by December 31 of the pretax year; a New Jersey resident for at least one year before October 1; owner and resident of the home on October 1 of the pretax year. An unremarried surviving spouse aged 55 or older at the spouse's death can keep it on the same home.
Income limit
Income of no more than $10,000 for 2026, not counting (with limits) Social Security, government pensions, disability and retirement benefits (Division of Taxation, Revised 2026 Income Guidelines, N.J.S.A. 54:4-8.40 et seq.).
How to apply
File Form PTD with your municipal tax assessor or collector with proof: birth certificate or driver's license, deed, physician's certificate or Social Security disability document, death and marriage certificates for surviving spouses.
First claim: file Form PTD with the assessor between October 1 and December 31 of the year before (for 2026: Oct. 1 - Dec. 31, 2025), or with the tax collector any time during the tax year (Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2026). To keep it, file Form PD5 with the tax collector by March 1 of the next year (by March 1, 2027 to confirm 2026 income). Denials: appeal to the county board of taxation by April 1.
As of October 1 of the pretax year: a legal New Jersey resident who owns the property and has active-duty service in the U.S. Armed Forces with an honorable discharge (Reserve/Guard only if called to active duty; training does not count). The unremarried surviving spouse or partner of such a veteran, or of a service member who died on active duty, can also qualify. No income limit.
How to apply
File Form V.S.S. with your local assessor or tax collector with your DD-214, deed, NJ driver's license (and death/marriage certificates for surviving spouses).
Full exemption: no property tax on your main home.
Who qualifies
Honorably discharged veterans with active-duty service who are New Jersey residents, own and live in the home, and have a VA certification of a service-connected disability rated 100% permanent and total. The unremarried surviving spouse or partner (including of a service member who died on active duty) can also qualify. No income limit.
How to apply
File Form D.V.S.S.E. with your local tax assessor with your DD-214, the VA certificate of disability, deed, NJ driver's license or voter registration (and death/marriage certificates for surviving spouses).
No set deadline found on the state page; file as soon as you qualify. Denials can be appealed to the county board of taxation by April 1 (January 15 in Burlington, Gloucester and Monmouth counties).
All your state benefits combined (ANCHOR, Senior Freeze, Stay NJ, $250 deductions) cannot be more than the property tax you paid on your main home that year.
The FY2027 budget split the last 2024-year Stay NJ payment in two (August and November 2026), so 2026 Stay NJ payments are lower overall.
Seniors and people on Social Security disability are not filed for automatically; you must send Form PAS-1 yourself by November 2, 2026.
Savings estimate for New Jersey
Roughly what an exemption could save you a year: the value it takes off, times your tax rate.
Eligibility finder for New Jersey
Answer a few questions to see which property tax breaks may fit you. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.
Document checklist for New Jersey
Pick the breaks you plan to apply for. You get a checklist of forms, documents, steps and deadlines to print or keep on your phone.
Questions about property tax exemptions in New Jersey
Is there a homestead exemption in New Jersey?
Yes: the ANCHOR (Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters). A yearly payment from the state: $1,500 if your 2025 New Jersey gross income was $150,000 or less, $1,000 if it was $150,001 to $250,000. For the 2025 benefit year the state's table shows no extra $250 for homeowners 65+ (the law that paid it covered only state fiscal years 2024-2026); seniors who did not claim the $50 property tax credit get that $50 added. Who qualifies: You owned and lived in a New Jersey home as your main residence on October 1, 2025, it was subject to property tax, and your NJ gross income (NJ-1040 line 29) was $250,000 or less. Second homes and rented-out property do not count.
When is the deadline to apply for the homestead exemption in New Jersey?
November 2, 2026 for the 2025 benefit year.
Do I have to reapply for the homestead exemption every year in New Jersey?
Every year (automatic for many under-65 homeowners).
Are there property tax breaks for seniors in New Jersey?
Senior Freeze (Property Tax Reimbursement): The state pays you back any increase in your property tax over your 'base year' (the first year you qualified), so your net tax stays frozen. Stay NJ - Property Tax Relief for Senior Citizens: A quarterly state payment toward your property tax, coordinated with your ANCHOR and Senior Freeze benefits. 2027 maximum (for the 2025 tax year): $6,500 if income is $100,000 or less; $5,000 for $100,000.01-$150,000; $4,000 for $150,000.01-$200,000; nothing over $200,000. The 2025-year benefit is paid in February and May 2027. $250 Property Tax Deduction for Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons: $250 off your property tax bill each year.
Do disabled veterans get a property tax exemption in New Jersey?
100% Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption: Full exemption: no property tax on your main home.
Where do I apply for property tax exemptions in New Jersey?
Your municipal tax assessor (or tax collector) handles the $250 senior/disabled and veteran deductions and the 100% disabled veteran exemption. The state Division of Taxation runs ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ, which you claim on one state application (Form PAS-1 for seniors and disability recipients).
Think your home’s assessed value is too high? An exemption and an appeal are separate: you can do both.
Median effective tax rate: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates, tables B25103 (median real estate taxes paid, owner-occupied homes) and B25077 (median value, owner-occupied homes). The rate is the median tax paid divided by the median home value.