The New Jersey ANCHOR rebate pays eligible homeowners and renters up to $1,750 in property tax relief each year, based on whether you own or rent, your age, and your 2025 income. For the current cycle, the filing deadline is November 2, 2026, but if you’re a homeowner under 65 and not on Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability, the state will likely file your application for you automatically.1NJ Division of Taxation. Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR)
How Much the ANCHOR Rebate Pays
Your benefit depends on your age as of December 31, 2025, your income, and whether you owned or rented.
Homeowners:
- Under 65, income up to $150,000: $1,500
- Under 65, income $150,001 to $250,000: $1,000
- 65 or older, income up to $150,000: $1,750
- 65 or older, income $150,001 to $250,000: $1,250
Renters:
- Under 65: $450
- 65 or older, or blind or disabled: $700
The extra $250 for older homeowners and renters is a legislative add-on for seniors.2NJ Division of Taxation. ANCHOR Program – How ANCHOR Benefits Are Calculated Amounts are set year to year by the state budget, so they can change in future cycles.
Who Qualifies
You had to be living in a New Jersey principal residence on October 1, 2025. Homeowners qualify with gross income up to $250,000; renters qualify with gross income up to $150,000. Income is measured by line 29 of your NJ-1040 for 2025. If you weren’t required to file a state return, use the figure you would have reported.3NJ Division of Taxation. ANCHOR Program – Eligibility
Only your principal residence counts. Vacation houses, investment properties, and secondary homes don’t qualify. Condo owners and resident co-op shareholders who paid property tax on their unit are treated as homeowners. Residents of continuing care retirement communities also count as homeowners if their contract required them to pay a proportionate share of property taxes.3NJ Division of Taxation. ANCHOR Program – Eligibility
Renters qualify if they were on the lease at a property subject to local property tax. If your building is fully tax-exempt or owned by a nonprofit that doesn’t pay property tax, the renter benefit generally won’t apply.
Two other groups are shut out on the homeowner side: anyone completely exempt from property tax on their home, and anyone who made PILOT (Payment-in-Lieu-of-Tax) payments instead of regular property taxes.3NJ Division of Taxation. ANCHOR Program – Eligibility
Do You Need to Apply?
This is the piece most people overlook. If you’re a homeowner under 65 and you don’t receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits, the Division of Taxation will most likely auto-file your ANCHOR application. You do nothing. In August 2026 you should get an ANCHOR Benefit Confirmation Letter telling you the application was submitted on your behalf.1NJ Division of Taxation. Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR)
If you’re 65 or older, or you receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability, you have to file yourself. You’ll use Form PAS-1, the combined Application for Property Tax Relief, which covers ANCHOR alongside programs like the Senior Freeze. You still use PAS-1 for ANCHOR even if you don’t qualify for the other programs it covers.1NJ Division of Taxation. Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR)
If you expected to be auto-filed but no confirmation arrives by September 2026, check your status online or call the ANCHOR hotline at 609-826-4282 or 1-888-238-1233. You can still file manually if the auto-filing missed you.4NJ Division of Taxation. ANCHOR Application Deadline Information
Key Dates for This Cycle
- October 1, 2025: the date you had to be occupying your New Jersey principal residence.
- December 31, 2025: the date used to determine your age. Turning 65 by year-end qualifies you for the senior amount.
- August 2026: auto-filed homeowners should receive their confirmation letters.
- November 2, 2026: filing deadline for anyone applying manually.
Miss the November deadline and you forfeit the benefit for the cycle. The state has extended deadlines in the past, but don’t plan around that.3NJ Division of Taxation. ANCHOR Program – Eligibility
How to Apply if You Have to File Yourself
Manual filers can apply online, by phone, or by paper. Before you start, have your ANCHOR ID and PIN (the state mails these to eligible households), your Social Security Number or ITIN, your 2025 NJ gross income from line 29, and, for homeowners, the block and lot numbers from your property tax bill. Renters need the full address of the unit and may need landlord information.
If you can’t find your ID and PIN, use the Division of Taxation’s online verification tool or call the hotline.3NJ Division of Taxation. ANCHOR Program – Eligibility
Online and phone are the fastest paths, and both give you a confirmation number immediately. Save it.
When Paper Is Required
Some situations force you onto Form ANCHOR-H rather than the online or phone systems:
- You share ownership with someone who isn’t your spouse or civil union partner.
- Your home is a unit in a multi-unit property you own.
- You’re filing on behalf of a homeowner who died on or after October 1, 2025.
- The property is held in a trust.
- You moved into a newly built home on October 1 and didn’t get an ANCHOR mailer.
- The name on your confirmation letter needs correction (marriage, death, or similar).
- You and your spouse or civil union partner shared a home but want separate benefit payments.
Co-owners who aren’t married or in a civil union each file their own application and note their ownership percentage.5New Jersey Department of the Treasury. NJ Homeowners Frequently Asked Questions Mail completed paper applications to ANCHOR Application, Revenue Processing Center, PO Box 636, Trenton, NJ 08646-0636.6NJ Division of Taxation. Form ANCHOR-H
When and How the Payment Arrives
Payments go out as direct deposits or paper checks. Direct deposits are processed first, so choosing that route generally means faster money. If you want to change your payment method from a prior year, you’ll need to submit a new application form; the state won’t carry over your old preference.
Payments typically start in September and go out on a rolling basis. Most applicants receive theirs within 90 days of filing, though anything flagged for manual review takes longer.7NJ Division of Taxation. Property Tax Relief Programs for Homeowners, Mobile Home Owners, and Renters
If the Division of Taxation denies your application, you’ll get a letter explaining why and telling you how to file a written protest. Respond promptly. Ignoring the notice can cost you the right to challenge the decision.
Is the Rebate Taxable?
The ANCHOR payment is not subject to New Jersey state income tax.
Federally, most recipients owe nothing on it, but the answer depends on how you handled your property taxes. The IRS treats a property tax rebate as a possible recovery of a prior-year itemized deduction. If you took the federal standard deduction the year you paid the taxes, the rebate isn’t taxable. If you itemized and deducted your property taxes, you may need to report part or all of the rebate as income on Schedule 1 of Form 1040, but only to the extent the earlier deduction actually reduced your tax.8Internal Revenue Service. Publication 525 – Taxable and Nontaxable Income
In practice, most New Jersey residents either take the standard deduction or are capped by the $10,000 SALT limit, so the rebate often has no federal effect. If you itemized and claimed property taxes, work through the Recoveries of Itemized Deductions worksheet in IRS Publication 525.
Where to Get Help
The ANCHOR hotline handles questions about eligibility, missing ID and PIN letters, and application status. Call 609-826-4282 or 1-888-238-1233. You can also check application and payment status at nj.gov/treasury/taxation/anchor.4NJ Division of Taxation. ANCHOR Application Deadline Information