The Cliffside Park NJ property tax rate for 2025 is $2.836 per $100 of assessed value, up from $2.756 in 2024.1New Jersey Department of the Treasury. 2025 General Tax Rates2Bergen County. 2024 Bergen County Tax Rates On a home assessed at $400,000, that works out to roughly $11,344 in annual property taxes before any deductions or credits. The 2025 rate sheet also lists an effective tax rate of $1.920, which adjusts the general rate to reflect how local assessments compare to true market values and makes it easier to compare Cliffside Park against neighboring towns.
The $2.836 figure is a combined rate. It bundles levies from the Cliffside Park municipal government, the school district, and Bergen County, each of which sets its own budget. When any one of those budgets grows faster than the borough’s total ratable base, the rate goes up. The borough has previously reported an average annual bill of $9,982 on an average assessed home of $373,110, though that figure predates the 2025 rate.3Cliffside Park, NJ. Cliffside Park’s Property Taxes Among Lowest in Bergen County
How to Calculate Your Tax Bill
Your bill is based on your property’s assessed value, not what it would sell for. The municipal tax assessor assigns an assessment to every parcel, reflecting land plus improvements. To find your annual tax, divide the assessed value by 100 and multiply by the general tax rate. A home assessed at $373,110 under the 2025 rate of $2.836 would owe about $10,585 for the year.
Assessments in Cliffside Park typically sit well below market value. The borough’s Chapter 123 average ratio for 2025 is 68.46%, meaning the typical property is assessed at roughly 68 cents on the dollar of what it would actually sell for.4New Jersey Department of the Treasury. 2025 Common Level Ranges Ch. 123 A home with a $550,000 market value should carry an assessment around $376,500 at that ratio. If your assessment runs much higher than the math suggests, you may have grounds for an appeal.
Payment Schedule and Late Penalties
New Jersey property taxes are paid quarterly, with installments due February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. Each due date carries a 10-day grace period. Pay by the 10th and no interest accrues; miss that window and interest is calculated retroactively to the first of the month. If a mortgage servicer escrows your taxes, they handle this. If you pay directly, those four dates matter.
New Jersey is aggressive about delinquent property taxes. Interest accrues at up to 8% per year on the first $1,500 of the delinquency and up to 18% per year on anything above that, running from the original due date until you pay. Because a single Cliffside Park quarterly installment usually exceeds $1,500, the 18% rate kicks in almost immediately. An additional penalty of up to 6% applies if your total delinquency exceeds $10,000 and remains unpaid at fiscal year-end.5Justia Law. New Jersey Revised Statutes Title 54 – Section 54-4-67
The bigger risk is the tax lien. The borough can sell a tax lien certificate on your property, and once a private investor holds it, that investor earns the interest on your delinquency and can eventually move to foreclose. Even a single year of unpaid taxes can land a property on the annual tax sale list.
Appealing Your Assessment
If your assessment looks too high relative to what your home would actually sell for, you can challenge it before the Bergen County Board of Taxation.6Justia Law. New Jersey Revised Statutes Title 54 – Section 54-3-21 The process uses a standardized Petition of Appeal, Form A-1, from the Division of Taxation.7New Jersey Division of Taxation. Petition of Appeal You’ll need your property’s block and lot numbers and the current assessed value from your annual notice.
What You Have to Prove
The assessment is legally presumed correct, so the burden is on you. The strongest evidence is comparable sales: arm’s-length transactions of similar properties showing your assessment overshoots market value. The state’s comparable sales form directs you to select at least three similar properties that sold recently, view each from the exterior, and include a photograph.8New Jersey Division of Taxation. A-1 Comp. Sales – Comparable Sales Analysis Form Don’t compare a single-family home with a multi-unit building, and sort out any square-footage disputes with the assessor before the hearing.
Chapter 123 is where appeals are won or lost. Cliffside Park’s 2025 average ratio is 68.46%, with a common level range extending roughly 15% above and below.4New Jersey Department of the Treasury. 2025 Common Level Ranges Ch. 123 If your assessment-to-market-value ratio falls within that range, the board will generally leave the assessment alone. Your case gains traction when the ratio exceeds the upper bound. Appeals that skip this analysis tend to fail.
A professional appraisal is also acceptable, but it must bear a valuation date of October 1 of the pre-tax year. Any other date and the appraisal is rejected, and the appraiser needs to be available to testify at the hearing.
Deadlines and Fees
Your completed Form A-1 must be received by the Bergen County Board of Taxation in Hackensack by April 1, or within 45 days of the date the borough completes its bulk mailing of assessment notices, whichever is later.6Justia Law. New Jersey Revised Statutes Title 54 – Section 54-3-21 Received, not postmarked.7New Jersey Division of Taxation. Petition of Appeal
Filing fees scale with assessed value:
- Under $150,000: $5
- $150,000 to $499,999: $25
- $500,000 to $999,999: $100
- $1,000,000 or more: $150
The fee goes with the original petition, and signed copies must be served on the Cliffside Park Tax Assessor and the Borough Clerk.7New Jersey Division of Taxation. Petition of Appeal Your comparable sales form is due to the tax board, assessor, and clerk no later than seven days before the hearing.8New Jersey Division of Taxation. A-1 Comp. Sales – Comparable Sales Analysis Form Hearings typically run between May and July. Properties assessed above $1,000,000 may file directly with the New Jersey Tax Court instead.6Justia Law. New Jersey Revised Statutes Title 54 – Section 54-3-21
Relief Programs That Lower What You Pay
Several state programs reduce the amount Cliffside Park homeowners actually pay, and plenty of residents who qualify never apply.
$250 Veteran Deduction
Honorably discharged veterans with active-duty service in the U.S. Armed Forces qualify for a $250 annual deduction. You must be a New Jersey resident and own the property as of October 1 of the pre-tax year. Reservists and National Guard members qualify only if they were called to active duty; training alone doesn’t count. Surviving spouses of veterans or service members who died on active duty may also qualify if they haven’t remarried.9NJ Division of Taxation. $250 Veterans Property Tax Deduction
100% Disabled Veteran Exemption
Veterans certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as 100% permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition can receive a complete property tax exemption on their primary residence. Surviving spouses and civil union partners of qualifying veterans may also receive the full exemption if they haven’t remarried and still own and occupy the home.10NJ Division of Taxation. 100% Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption
Senior Freeze
The Senior Freeze program reimburses eligible seniors and disabled residents for property tax increases above the amount they paid in a base year. Eligibility turns on age, residency, and income. Applications are typically due in the fall, and income thresholds change annually.11NJ Division of Taxation. Senior Freeze (Property Tax Reimbursement)
ANCHOR
The ANCHOR program delivers direct property tax relief to homeowners and renters based on income. For the 2025 benefit year, the filing deadline is November 2, 2026, and most eligible homeowners have their applications auto-filed, with a confirmation letter arriving in August 2026. Seniors and recipients of Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits need to file a combined application on Form PAS-1 even if they don’t qualify for every program it covers.12NJ Division of Taxation. ANCHOR Program If you owned and occupied your Cliffside Park home as your principal residence during the benefit year, check eligibility every year. Missing ANCHOR is one of the most common ways homeowners leave money on the table.