NJ Property Tax Relief: When To Expect Your Check In 2026

Senior citizens enrolled in the new Stay NJ program can begin to see their tax relief funds soon.

Stay NJ is a tax relief program introduced in 2025 to help senior citizens with tax relief, with the purpose of encouraging them to stay in New Jersey upon retiring.

The program reimburses applicants for 50 percent of their property tax bills, up to a maximum of $13,000, with a 2024 benefit cap of $6,500.

To be eligible for the Stay NJ program, residents must be 65 years and older, have owned and lived in their home for the full 12 months of 2024, and have an income below $500,000.

Eligible residents should have filed their PAS-1, a single application that allows seniors to claim benefits from Senior Freeze, ANCHOR, and the new Stay NJ Program, by Oct. 31, 2025.

Most residents will have already received a letter from the New Jersey Division of Taxation determining if they qualified for NJ Stay benefits, and if so, how much.

But when will residents get their checks in the mail?

While many residents may have opted for direct deposits for their ANCHOR benefits, NJ Stay benefits will be rolled out exclusively by paper check in the mail.

Department of the Treasury spokesperson Darryl Isherwood told Patch that checks will be sent out on a rolling basis in mid-February.

With checks being sent on a rolling basis, some residents may not see their benefits until at least March.

The Division of Taxation plans on launching an online web portal so Stay NJ enrollees can check their benefits status. The portal, which has not been launched yet, will be found online here (scroll and find the “Check Benefit Status” icon.)