Beat Property Tax Hike With NJ Senior Freeze: Montclair Officials

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair officials are reminding senior citizens and disabled residents that there’s a way to beat property tax increases they can’t afford: New Jersey’s “Senior Freeze” program.

On Thursday, Montclair officials announced the township is sending applications for the state’s Senior Freeze property tax reimbursement program to local senior citizens and disabled residents who may be eligible.

The deadline for filing applications for this year is Nov. 2. All New Jersey residents – not only those in Montclair – are eligible. (Learn more here)

Here’s what the program does, according to Montclair officials:

“The Senior Freeze program reimburses qualified applicants for property tax increases on their homes. Applicants must meet all income eligibility and residency requirements and must file an application each year to receive the reimbursement. Income cannot exceed $89,013 for 2018 and $91,505 for 2019. Applicants who are married or in a civil union and living in the same household must report combined income of both spouses/civil union partners.”

Participants must be:

• 65 or older on December 31, 2018
• Actually receiving federal Social Security disability benefit payments (not benefit payments received on behalf of someone else) on or before December 31, 2018

Although the name of the program is a bit of a misnomer, the intent is not, officials say. According to the New Jersey Department of the Treasury:

“This property tax relief program does not actually freeze your taxes, but will reimburse you for any property tax increases you have once you're in the program. You will get the difference between your base year (first year of eligibility) property tax amount and the current year property tax amount, as long as the current year is higher than the base year and you met all other eligibility requirements.”

For general information, to receive an application, or to check the status of a filed application, go to njtaxation.org and select “Senior Freeze” or call 1 (800) 882-6597.

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