The New Jersey ANCHOR program sends direct payments to residents who owned or rented their primary home in the state on October 1, 2025 and fall within the income limits: $250,000 or less for homeowners and $150,000 or less for renters. Payments range from $450 to $1,750 depending on whether you own or rent, your income, and whether you’re 65 or older or receive disability benefits. Most people under 65 will be auto-filed by the Division of Taxation and receive a confirmation letter in August 2026. Seniors and disability benefit recipients file a combined application called Form PAS-1. The deadline for the 2025 benefit year is November 2, 2026.
Who Qualifies
Three things have to be true for the 2025 benefit. You occupied your primary residence in New Jersey on October 1, 2025. You paid property taxes or rent on that home during the year. Your New Jersey gross income fell within the cap for your category: $250,000 or less for homeowners, $150,000 or less for renters.
“New Jersey gross income” means the number on Line 29 of your NJ-1040. It is not your federal adjusted gross income, and using the federal figure is one of the more common reasons applications get delayed.
Only your principal residence counts. A New Jersey vacation home does not generate a second benefit, and if you own a house you rent out while living somewhere else, the place you actually live in is the one that matters for ANCHOR. If you make payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) to your municipality instead of a standard property tax bill, you still qualify. New Jersey law includes PILOT payments in the definition of “property tax” for this program.
How Much You Get
Benefit amounts are set through annual state appropriations, so they can shift year to year. In recent benefit years the homeowner tiers have been:
- Homeowners 65 or older, or blind or disabled, with income of $150,000 or less: $1,750
- Homeowners 65 or older, or blind or disabled, with income between $150,001 and $250,000: $1,250
- Homeowners under 65 with income of $250,000 or less: $1,500
For renters:
- Renters 65 or older, or blind or disabled, with income of $150,000 or less: $700
- Renters under 65 with income of $150,000 or less: $450
The exact amount you’re approved for will appear on the ANCHOR Benefit Confirmation Letter the Division of Taxation mails in August 2026. Payments arrive as direct deposits or paper checks, not as credits on your property tax bill, so you receive the money even if you’re behind on taxes.
How You Apply
The 2025 benefit year splits applicants into two tracks based on age and disability status.
If You’re Under 65 and Not on Disability Benefits
The Division of Taxation will auto-file your 2025 ANCHOR application using Form ANC-1 and the income and residency information it already has. Your confirmation letter arrives in August 2026. If the letter is correct, you don’t need to do anything else.
If you’re eligible but weren’t auto-filed, you can submit Form ANC-1 yourself through the state’s online portal or on paper by mail. The submission deadline is November 2, 2026.
If You’re 65 or Older or Receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement Disability Benefits
You have to file. The state will not auto-file for you even if it has all the information needed. Your form is Form PAS-1, a combined application that covers ANCHOR alongside the Senior Freeze reimbursement and the new Stay NJ credit. File it online or mail the paper version by November 2, 2026.
The combined form exists because New Jersey now calculates all three senior property tax relief programs together. One filing gives you everything you’re entitled to across the three.
What to Have Ready Before You File
Whether you’re using Form ANC-1 or Form PAS-1, gather the same information:
- Social Security or ITIN numbers for everyone on the deed or lease
- Your 2025 New Jersey gross income from Line 29 of your NJ-1040
- Block and lot numbers from your property tax bill, if you’re a homeowner
- Total rent paid during 2025 and the names of any co-tenants, if you’re a renter
- Bank routing and account numbers if you want direct deposit
If the Division of Taxation sent you a benefit mailer with an ID and PIN, keep it handy: those credentials are the fastest way into the online system. Lost or never received it? You can retrieve your filing credentials through the state’s online inquiry tool using your Social Security number and date of birth.
Match your income figure exactly to what appears on your filed NJ-1040. Rounding, estimating, or substituting your federal income can trigger a rejection or hold.
Deadline and When Payments Arrive
The filing deadline for the 2025 ANCHOR benefit is November 2, 2026 for both Form ANC-1 and Form PAS-1.
Payments generally begin September 15 and go out on a rolling basis, with most applicants paid within 90 days of filing unless the state requests more documentation. Direct deposit typically arrives faster than a mailed check. If your auto-filed confirmation letter reaches you in August 2026, a September payment is realistic.
If the Division of Taxation needs more information, it will contact you by regular mail, never by email or text. Respond quickly, because delays in providing documents push your payment back. You can check status through the Division’s online portal by entering your Social Security number and the expected benefit amount.
How Stay NJ Fits In
Beginning with tax year 2026, New Jersey is phasing in the Stay NJ property tax credit for homeowners 65 and older with income below $500,000. The credit is 50% of your property tax bill, capped at $6,500.
Stay NJ does not stack on top of ANCHOR. The state subtracts your ANCHOR rebate and any Senior Freeze reimbursement from the Stay NJ calculation, so the three programs work together toward a single total. Because Stay NJ runs through the same Form PAS-1 seniors use for ANCHOR, no separate application is required.
Filing for a Deceased or Incapacitated Resident
If an eligible homeowner or renter died on or after October 1, 2025, a surviving spouse, civil union partner, executor, or personal representative can still file the 2025 ANCHOR application on their behalf.
For a deceased homeowner, attach a death certificate and leave the deceased person’s name off the form. The benefit is issued in the name of the estate, so keep the estate bank account open until the payment arrives. The Division of Taxation recommends talking to your bank or attorney before closing that account.
For a deceased renter, file using the decedent’s information, enter their name followed by “estate of,” give a mailing address for the check, and check the box indicating the renter is deceased. The personal representative signs in their official capacity. On paper applications with a married or civil union filing jointly status, the surviving partner must also sign.
A surviving spouse or civil union partner filing on their own behalf, rather than for the estate, enters only their own name on the application, even if the other spouse died during 2025.
When a living resident can’t file due to incapacity, a legal representative can be appointed using Form M-5008-R. A guardian, executor, administrator, or trustee can sign that form to authorize someone to file applications and handle related tax matters. A fiduciary already acting in the taxpayer’s position doesn’t need to file M-5008-R for themselves, only to authorize a third party. The form does not automatically grant authority to endorse refund checks, so specify that power if it’s needed.