Millburn Township homeowners paying an average of $26,298 in annual property taxes can claim state rebates of up to $6,500 if they file by Monday, Nov. 2.
Three programs are open for the 2025 benefit year: ANCHOR (Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters), Stay NJ, and Senior Freeze. Together, New Jersey's fiscal 2027 budget set aside more than $4 billion for direct property tax relief, NJ Spotlight News reported, including $2.2 billion for ANCHOR, $756 million for Stay NJ and $345 million for Senior Freeze.
Who qualifies and how much
ANCHOR covers homeowners and renters based on 2025 income. Homeowners earning $150,000 or less get $1,500. Those earning between $150,001 and $250,000 get $1,000. Renters 64 or younger get $450; renters 65 or older get $700. One change for 2025: the extra $250 that senior homeowners received in prior years was not renewed in the state budget, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. The maximum ANCHOR benefit for homeowners is now $1,500 regardless of age.
Stay NJ is for homeowners 65 and older who lived in their home all 12 months of 2025. The program reimburses 50 percent of property taxes, but the income ceiling dropped from $500,000 to $200,000 under the new budget. Maximum benefits are tiered: $6,500 for income of $100,000 or less, $5,000 for income between $100,001 and $150,000, and $4,000 for income between $150,001 and $200,000. Stay NJ payments come by check only.
Senior Freeze covers homeowners 65 or older by Dec. 31, 2025, or those receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits by that date. Total 2025 income must be $172,475 or less. Senior Freeze payments began July 15, with roughly 188,000 residents receiving about $220 million in the first round, Patch reported.
Auto-enrollment vs. manual filing
Most ANCHOR-eligible residents will have their applications re-filed automatically. The state mailed confirmation letters to more than 537,000 homeowners and 549,000 renters expected to qualify. Residents who received a letter but whose banking or address information has changed must submit an updated application by Tuesday, Sept. 15.
People new to ANCHOR and those 65 or older collecting Social Security disability benefits must file on their own.
The PAS-1 form, a combined application for seniors that bundles ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ, is never auto-filed. Every senior must complete it, even if not eligible for all three programs. Filing online requires identity verification through ID.me, a third-party verification service.
The Division of Taxation warned residents not to simply add the maximum amounts of all three programs together to estimate their total benefit, because Stay NJ is calculated after ANCHOR and Senior Freeze are applied.
Local filing help
Assemblywoman Rosaura "Rosy" Bagolie (D-Essex, Passaic) is hosting a free PAS-1 filing event on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at the Livingston Senior/Community Center, 204 Hillside Ave. Division of Taxation staff will walk attendees through the form and answer questions. Registration is available online or by calling Bagolie's office at 973-535-5017.
Millburn's tax burden
Millburn's average property tax bill of $26,298 is the highest in Essex County, according to a compilation of county tax records last updated July 1. Statewide, the average bill hit a record $10,570 in 2025, a 4.7 percent increase over 2024, according to state Department of Community Affairs data reported by NJ Spotlight News.
The Nov. 2 deadline applies to all three programs. Residents can file and check their benefit status through the state Division of Taxation's online portal.
