New Jersey ANCHOR Property Tax Relief (2025 Application): Benefits, Eligibility, and How to Apply
The New Jersey ANCHOR program provides property tax relief to eligible homeowners and renters based on their 2025 residence, income, and age.
The Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters program, better known as ANCHOR, is an active New Jersey property tax relief program. The current application is for the 2025 tax year. It is based on where you lived on October 1, 2025, your 2025 New Jersey income, and, for some renters, your age. The application deadline is November 2, 2026.
That is the important update for this page. The old December 31 wording is not the current deadline, and ANCHOR is not limited to homeowners. Eligible renters can receive a benefit too, although the income ceiling and housing rules are different. New Jersey Division of Taxation administers the program and publishes the forms, filing instructions, benefit calculations, and status tools.
ANCHOR 2025 application at a glance
| Detail | Current information |
|---|---|
| Program | Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR) |
| Administrator | New Jersey Division of Taxation |
| Application cycle | 2025 tax year |
| Deadline | November 2, 2026 |
| Homeowner income limit | New Jersey gross income of $250,000 or less |
| Renter income limit | New Jersey gross income of $150,000 or less |
| Homeowner benefit | $1,500 at $150,000 or less; $1,000 from $150,001 through $250,000 |
| Renter benefit | $450 if age 64 or younger; $700 if age 65 or older by December 31, 2025 |
| Possible older-applicant credit | Up to $50 property tax credit in the circumstances described by the Division |
| Residence test | You owned or rented and lived in your New Jersey principal residence on October 1, 2025 |
| Official source | https://www.nj.gov/treasury/taxation/anchor/ |
The amounts above are the published 2025 ANCHOR amounts. A benefit can be limited when the total of qualifying New Jersey property tax relief benefits is greater than the property taxes paid on the principal residence for the same year. The state also says that program eligibility and benefit amounts are subject to state budget appropriations, so applicants should use the official page for any later notice.
Who can qualify
ANCHOR starts with three questions: Were you a New Jersey resident? Did you own or rent and occupy the home that was your principal residence on October 1, 2025? Was the residence subject to property tax under the program’s rules? You must also stay within the applicable 2025 New Jersey gross-income limit.
For a homeowner, the income ceiling is $250,000. A homeowner with New Jersey gross income of $150,000 or less is in the published $1,500 benefit tier. A homeowner with income from $150,001 through $250,000 is in the published $1,000 tier. Income above $250,000 is not eligible for the homeowner ANCHOR benefit.
For a renter, the income ceiling is $150,000. The rental home must have been your main home on October 1, 2025, and it generally must have been subject to local property tax. Renters with income above $150,000 are not eligible for the renter ANCHOR benefit. The property-tax requirement is why a tenant should not assume every type of housing qualifies.
The principal-residence rule excludes vacation homes, second homes, and a property you rented to someone else. If you moved after October 1, the relevant property is the one you owned or rented and occupied on that date. Your current address may still matter for correspondence and payment, but moving later does not change which residence is tested for this application.
Some housing arrangements need special treatment. A condominium owner who paid property taxes on the unit and a resident shareholder of a cooperative housing complex can be treated as a homeowner. A resident of a continuing-care community can also qualify as a homeowner when the contract requires payment of the proportionate property-tax share attributable to the unit. The official eligibility page gives separate instructions for these cases.
Homeowners should also check the exclusions. A vacation or second home, a property with more than four units, or a property with four or fewer units that contains more than one commercial unit is not eligible under the listed homeowner rules. A homeowner who was completely exempt from property taxes, or who made PILOT payments to the municipality, is not eligible for the homeowner reimbursement under the Division’s current guidance.
Renter rules that are easy to miss
Renters can qualify when their unit is part of a property subject to local property tax. The Division specifically says that a rental unit operating under a PILOT agreement with its municipality can qualify. Mobile-home residents who owned or rented a mobile home in a mobile-home park are treated as renters for ANCHOR. Someone renting a condominium or a cooperative unit is also treated as a renter for this program.
The Division lists several non-qualified rental situations. They include tax-exempt housing or residences owned by New Jersey, a county, a municipality, or the federal government; on-campus apartments at New Jersey colleges and universities; residences owned by religious, charitable, or other nonprofit organizations, including on-campus apartments at private nonprofit colleges; and other properties exempt from local property taxes.
If you do not know whether your building is taxable, ask the building manager or contact the municipal tax assessor. Keep the answer and any supporting information with your records. Do not rely only on the fact that rent is high or that a landlord mentions taxes in general; the property’s status under the ANCHOR rules is what matters.
How the benefit is calculated
For homeowners, the Division says the benefit is calculated using income on line 29 of the 2025 NJ-1040. The published table has two homeowner tiers: $1,500 for income of $150,000 or less, and $1,000 for income from $150,001 through $250,000. Homeowners age 65 or older who do not need to file a New Jersey income tax return, or who did not claim the $50 property tax credit on the NJ-1040, may have that credit added to the ANCHOR payment under the conditions described by the state.
For renters, the published amount is $450 for applicants age 64 or younger and $700 for applicants age 65 or older by December 31, 2025. The higher renter amount includes an additional $250 for the older group. Renters age 65 or older who are not required to file an NJ-1040 may also qualify for a property tax credit of up to $50 when the state’s conditions are met.
These amounts are not a promise that every applicant receives the maximum. The Division reviews the application and determines eligibility. The combined total of ANCHOR, Senior Freeze, Stay NJ, and certain property tax deductions cannot exceed the property taxes paid on the principal residence for the same year. That cap is one reason an applicant’s final payment can differ from the headline amount.
The ANCHOR amount is not a replacement for a particular municipal tax bill. It is a state benefit determined under the program’s income, residence, age, and property rules. The New Jersey Division of Taxation says property tax relief payments are not taxable income for New Jersey state tax purposes.
Which application should you use?
The current filing path depends mainly on age and disability-benefit status.
Seniors and disability-benefit recipients
Taxpayers age 65 or older, and people receiving Social Security disability or Railroad Retirement disability benefits, are not automatically filed by the Division for this program. They must complete the combined Application for Property Tax Relief, Form PAS-1, even if they do not qualify for all of the programs included in that form. PAS-1 combines ANCHOR with Senior Freeze and Stay NJ. It can be filed electronically or on paper through the instructions linked from the official ANCHOR page.
The PAS-1 instructions say to submit the application and any required documents by November 2, 2026. A paper application must be postmarked by the deadline. An online application must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the deadline. Read the current instructions before mailing anything because the combined form asks for information that may apply to the other property-tax programs as well as ANCHOR.
Applicants under 65 who are not receiving those disability benefits
The Division says most eligible homeowners and renters under 65 who are not receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits will have their 2025 ANCHOR applications auto-filed. Those applicants should receive an ANCHOR Benefit Confirmation Letter in August 2026. Review the letter carefully when it arrives. If information is wrong, banking details need to be changed, or you did not receive a letter, use the filing instructions on the official site.
If your application is not auto-filed, the Division says you can file electronically or download the ANC-1 application and submit it by mail when the application is available. The official site is the right place to check the current filing link and instructions. Do not assume that a missing confirmation letter means you are ineligible.
The Division no longer requires the old ANCHOR ID and PIN for filing. The current filing information says applicants verify their information through ID.me. A homeowner may be asked for the county or municipality code, block, lot, and qualifier, the property-tax amounts from the tax bill, and the New Jersey gross income reported on the NJ-1040. Renters should have their address and rental information available as well.
Documents and information to gather
The official filing pages say that applicants may need to verify information rather than simply type an amount and submit. Gather the following before starting:
- Your Social Security number and the applicant information requested by the form.
- Your 2025 New Jersey gross-income information, including the amount used for the program’s income calculation.
- The New Jersey address that was your principal residence on October 1, 2025.
- For homeowners, the county or municipality code, block, lot, qualifier, and property-tax amounts shown on the relevant bill if the filing system requests them.
- For renters, your lease or rental agreement and information that helps establish the unit, landlord, and taxable status if the Division asks for verification.
- For an online application that requires identity proofing, a driver’s license, state ID, passport card, or passport. ID.me may request additional documents.
Do not send documents that the form does not request just because you have them. Keep copies of what you submit and save the confirmation. If the Division later asks for proof of age, disability status, rent, property taxes, PILOT payments, or mobile-home park site fees, respond using the instructions in the notice.
A practical filing checklist
- Confirm that the page you are using is the New Jersey Division of Taxation ANCHOR page. Avoid third-party services that charge to submit a state benefit application.
- Identify whether you are filing as a homeowner or renter and check the corresponding income ceiling.
- Confirm that the New Jersey home was your principal residence on October 1, 2025.
- If you are 65 or older or receive qualifying Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits, use Form PAS-1 rather than waiting for an auto-filed notice.
- If you are under 65 and not receiving those disability benefits, watch for the August 2026 confirmation letter. If the Division does not auto-file you, use the electronic or paper ANC-1 route when available.
- Complete identity verification through ID.me if the online process requests it. If you cannot complete identity proofing, the FAQ says a paper application remains available.
- Check every address, income figure, property identifier, and bank detail before submitting.
- Submit by November 2, 2026, and save the confirmation or postal evidence.
Payment timing and status
The Division says ANCHOR payments begin on a rolling basis starting September 15, usually within 90 days of filing unless more information is required. Online applicants can choose a paper check or direct deposit. Applicants who file by paper have a paper-check option only. The timing is therefore not an instant refund at the moment you submit the form.
Use the benefit-status tool linked from the official ANCHOR page if you need to check progress. If the state requests additional information, answer that request rather than submitting a second application without instructions. A second filing can make it harder to understand which application is being processed.
Final reminder
The current ANCHOR opportunity is open for the 2025 application cycle, with a November 2, 2026 deadline. Homeowners should check the $250,000 income ceiling and the two published homeowner amounts. Renters should check the $150,000 ceiling, taxable-property rule, and age-based $450 or $700 amount. Older applicants and people receiving the specified disability benefits need to file the combined PAS-1 application; many other eligible applicants may be auto-filed but should still review their confirmation letter.
Start at the official New Jersey Division of Taxation ANCHOR page:
https://www.nj.gov/treasury/taxation/anchor/
That page links to eligibility details, benefit calculations, forms, filing instructions, and status checking. Use it for any update to the application portal or the program rules before submitting.