ANCHOR Applications Open In NJ: What To Do If You Didn't Get A Mailer

NEW JERSEY — Application mailers are on the way for millions of New Jersey residents, letting them know how to get up to $1,750 in property tax relief through the state's ANCHOR program.

ANCHOR (Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters) is in its third year, and residents who qualify can get between $450 and $1,500 back in their pockets — with an extra $250 added to the payment for senior citizens.

About 1.5 million residents will receive payments automatically — those who have received a refund before, and have not changed certain personal information. The state Division of Taxation, which is part of the Department of the Treasury, sent benefit confirmation letters to these residents beginning last week.

And on Monday, the state began sending application mailers out to another 2 million residents who may be eligible — green mailers for homeowners, and purple ones for renters. These packets will include an ID number and PIN that are needed to sign up for the program online.

The residents on this list have either not applied for the program in the past, or have received an ANCHOR benefit but changed certain personal information that requires them to re-submit their information.

Take a look at the graphic below for a handy guide to the difference between ANCHOR benefit confirmation letters and application mailers (this article continues below the graphic):

There are new security measures in place this year, and these taxpayers will be prompted to verify their identity online through ID.me, or visit one of the Division of Taxation’s Regional Information Centers with proof of ID.

Those who did not get a benefit confirmation letter or application mailer mailer can still check if they're eligible at anchor.nj.gov, and sign up for an account with ID.me.

The deadline to apply is November 30, 2024. A Treasury spokesperson said benefits will begin to be distributed on October 1 to auto-enrolled residents, and most new applicants can expect to receive their payment "within 90 days of applying."

Officials said the ANCHOR program paid more than $2 billion last year, when more than 1.8 million residents got a refund for the 2020 tax year. Homeowners can receive up to a $1,500 refund and renters can get up to $450 — with eligible seniors 65 and older getting an extra $250.

Eligibility and payments for this year's program are based on residency, income, and age for the 2021 tax year. Homeowners must have had an annual gross income of $250,000 or less, and renters must have had an annual income of $150,000 or less that year to be eligible.

This year, the state Division of Taxation said it has "effectively eliminated" the need for people to submit paper applications, and residents are able to securely upload documents. Paper applications are still available "for those who prefer, or have special circumstances,"

The Division said staff have made improvements to the ANCHOR call center, by doubling the number of representatives available to help callers with questions — and adding an an automatic callback feature which allows residents to be placed in a queue rather than waiting on hold.

More information about the program is available at anchor.nj.gov. Applicants may also call the ANCHOR hotline at (609) 826-4282 or 1-888-238-1233, or get in-person assistance at a Regional Information Center.

ANCHOR replaced the state's Homestead Benefit relief program.

Related articles:

• Do I Qualify For Automatic ANCHOR Payment In NJ? 5 Things To Know
• ANCHOR Tax Rebate Letters Rolling Out To 1.5M NJ Residents Who Will Get Paid Automatically