Seniors Have Until Sept. 16 to Apply for "Senior Freeze"

The filing deadline for the 2012 Senior Freeze Program has been extended from June 3 to September 16.

The program provides partial property tax reimbursements for low-income senior citizens, 65 or older, and disabled residents who qualify, said Bill Quinn, state Treasury Department spokesman.

The amount of reimbursement depends on the applicant's age, income level and their tax bill, with seniors who are disabled or veterans possibly qualifying for a higher level of reimbursement, Quinn said.

The state Division of Taxation mailed the 2012 Senior Freeze application booklets to current participants as well as other residents who may now be eligible for the program in February, according to a letter William G. Dressel, Jr., Executive Director of the League of Municipalities, recently mailed to all mayors.

For eligible senior and disabled residents, who filed their application by the June 3 deadline, the Division of Taxation plans to mail their reimbursement checks by mid-July, Dressel said in his letter.

Checks for eligible applicants who file their 2012 applications after June 3 will be processed and delivered as quickly as possible thereafter. 

For more information on the 2012 Senior Freeze Program, or to obtain an application, residents can contact the Senior Freeze (Property Tax Reimbursement) Hotline at 1-800-882-6597 or visit one of the Taxation Regional Offices around the State. 

Representatives are available by phone or in person from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Directions to the Regional Offices are available at: www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/ot1.shtml.    

Information about the Senior Freeze Program, including the eligibility requirements, is also available on the Division of Taxation’s Web site at www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/ptr/buffer.shtml.