How to Apply for the NJ ANCHOR Program: Forms and Filing Steps

To apply for the NJ ANCHOR program for tax year 2025, file through the Division of Taxation online at propertytaxreliefapp.nj.gov, by phone at 1-877-658-2972, or on paper by November 2, 2026. Most applicants use the online portal, which now requires identity verification through ID.me instead of the mailed ID and PIN used in earlier years.¹

What to Gather Before You Start

Have these ready before you open the application:

Your Social Security Number or ITIN, and your spouse’s or civil union partner’s if filing jointly.²
Your 2025 NJ-1040 resident income tax return. The application pulls gross income from line 29.
Property tax paid for 2025 if you own, or lease details and rent paid for 2025 if you rent.
A bank routing number and account number for direct deposit, which pays out faster than a mailed check.
An ID.me account. Setting one up requires a government-issued photo ID and may include a short selfie check.¹

If you filed in a prior year and kept your old ANCHOR ID and PIN, those credentials can still retrieve information about earlier filings, but the current application runs through ID.me.¹

The Three Ways to File

Online

The online portal at propertytaxreliefapp.nj.gov is the fastest route. After verifying your identity through ID.me, you work through screens that ask for your personal information, income, and property details. Review the summary screen carefully before you submit. When the system accepts the application it displays a confirmation number. Save it.¹

Phone

Call 1-877-658-2972 and follow the automated voice prompts, entering your information on the phone’s keypad. Stay on the line until the system reads back a confirmation number.³

Paper

If you can’t file online or by phone, download the paper application from the Division of Taxation’s website and mail it to:

ANCHOR Application
Revenue Processing Center
PO Box 636
Trenton, NJ 08646-0636⁴

Paper filings don’t generate a confirmation number, so keep a copy of everything you send along with any supporting documents. Processing takes longer because staff must enter your data by hand.

Which Form You File

Most applicants use Form ANC-1, the standard ANCHOR application. If you were 65 or older by December 31, 2025, or you receive Social Security Disability or Railroad Retirement Disability benefits, you file the combined PAS-1 instead. The PAS-1 is a single application that covers ANCHOR, the Senior Freeze property tax reimbursement, and the new Stay NJ program. The Division of Taxation calculates each benefit automatically, so there is no need to file separate applications.⁵

The Division encourages anyone eligible for the PAS-1 with income under $500,000 to file, because Stay NJ has a higher income ceiling than ANCHOR. Even if your income puts you over the ANCHOR limit, you may still qualify for Stay NJ or Senior Freeze through the same form. The PAS-1 deadline is the same as the standard ANC-1: November 2, 2026.⁵

Confirm You’re Eligible Before Filing

Eligibility for the 2025 benefit turns on where you lived on October 1, 2025, and what you earned that year. Homeowners must have owned and occupied a New Jersey principal residence on that date, with gross income on line 29 of the NJ-1040 no higher than $250,000. Renters must have occupied a New Jersey rental as their principal residence on October 1, 2025, with gross income no higher than $150,000.⁶

Renters qualify only if their name appears on the lease or rental agreement and the unit includes kitchen and bathroom access. The rental property must also be subject to local property taxes, which rules out some tax-exempt housing, though subsidized housing counts as long as the building itself pays property taxes.⁷

One eligibility rule catches people every year: properties operating under a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement split the two groups. Homeowners who make PILOT payments do not qualify for ANCHOR, because PILOT payments are not treated as property taxes under the program. Renters in PILOT buildings, however, do qualify. A condo owner in a PILOT development is excluded from ANCHOR but may be eligible for Stay NJ.⁶⁷

Filing for Someone Who Died After October 1, 2025

An eligible homeowner or renter who died after October 1, 2025 can still receive the benefit through their estate. For a deceased homeowner, the executor or surviving spouse files and attaches a death certificate. Do not include the deceased spouse’s name on the application. For a deceased renter with no surviving spouse, a personal representative files by entering the decedent’s name followed by “estate of” and checking the box that indicates the renter is deceased. The payment is issued in the estate’s name, so keep the estate bank account open until it clears.⁶

Fixing Mistakes After You Submit

If you entered the wrong bank account information, you can submit a correction by fax at (609) 292-0134, by email to NJ.ANCHOR@treas.nj.gov, or through the Division’s online upload portal. Include your name, Social Security Number, the incorrect and correct banking details, and a copy of your government-issued ID.³ For a mailing address change, use the separate address change tool on the Division’s website.

There is no single correction form for other fields. If you realize you entered the wrong income or filing status, contact the Division directly rather than filing a second application.

Checking Your Status and When Payment Arrives

After you file, track your application through the “Check My ANCHOR Benefit Status” tool. It tells you whether the application is being processed, whether the Division has no record of it, or whether a benefit has been issued and when it was sent.⁸

Payments begin September 15 each year and continue on a rolling basis, with most applicants paid within 90 days of that date unless the Division asks for more information.⁸ Direct deposits arrive first; paper checks follow. If you filed the PAS-1, you’ll receive a letter in autumn explaining the amounts calculated for ANCHOR, Senior Freeze, and Stay NJ separately.⁵

If a letter from the Department of the Treasury arrives asking you to verify residency or income, respond quickly. Ignoring the request delays your payment or blocks it entirely.

1
NJ.gov. Property Tax Relief Application
2
NJ.gov. 2024 ANCHOR Application, Form ANC-1 Instructions
3
NJ.gov. ANCHOR Program Homeowners Frequently Asked Questions
4
NJ.gov. ANCHOR Application and Instructions for Homeowners
5
NJ.gov. 2025 Form PAS-1 Application for Property Tax Relief
6
NJ Division of Taxation. ANCHOR Filing Information
7
NJ Division of Taxation. Property Tax Relief Programs FAQs
8
Treasury Taxation. Property Tax Relief Benefit Status