ANCHOR Tax Rebate Letters Rolling Out To 1.5M NJ Residents This Week

NEW JERSEY — More than a million homeowners and renters in the Garden State will be looking out for a letter this week, telling them that they will get an automatic payment from the state's ANCHOR property tax relief program this fall.

These letters began going out on Monday to about 1.5 million people who have already received an ANCHOR payment, according to the New Jersey Department of the Treasury. These people won't have to do anything to get their money, as the Division of Taxation will file their applications automatically. The state will start sending checks out automatically in the fall, officials said.

Residents who have moved addresses, changed their name, or gotten a new bank account since their last successful application will have to file a new application by Sept. 15 at anchor.nj.gov; this applies to about 300,000 people.

More than 2 million other residents will get letters with information on how to apply for the program in 2024, officials said — with Nov. 30 set as the deadline to submit their application. Those letters will be sent out beginning Aug. 26.

This year's ANCHOR program, which stands for Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters, will use property tax information from 2021.

Eligibility and payments for this year's program are based on residency, income, and age for that 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 to be eligible.

This is the third year that the state has distributed ANCHOR benefits, giving New Jersey taxpayers up to $1,750 back in their pockets as they contend with the highest property tax rates in the country.

Treasury officials said the 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.

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," said officials last week.

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.

Additional security measures are also in place for the following people, officials said: New applicants, those who are looking for their ANCHOR ID and PIN, those who did not receive an ANCHOR benefit confirmation letter or application mailer, and those who no longer have their letter/mailer and the accompanying information. These taxpayers will be prompted to verify their identity online, or visit one of the Division of Taxation’s Regional Information Centers with proof of ID.

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.

Related articles:

• Automatic ANCHOR Payments Coming For 1.5M NJ Residents
• Do I Qualify For Automatic ANCHOR Payment In NJ? 5 Things To Know