New Jersey's Three-Program Property Tax Relief Stack: Senior Freeze, ANCHOR, and the New Stay NJ — All on One Combined PAS-1 Application

Updated April 2026

New Jersey consolidated three property tax relief programs onto a single application form (PAS-1) starting with the 2024 tax year, replacing the older PTR-1 / PTR-2 (Senior Freeze) and standalone ANCHOR applications. The three programs that PAS-1 routes claims into are: the Senior Freeze (Property Tax Reimbursement), which reimburses qualifying seniors for property tax increases above their established base year amount; ANCHOR (Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters), which pays an income-tested rebate to homeowners and renters regardless of age; and Stay NJ, the newer program enacted in 2023 that provides additional senior-specific tax credits with phased rollout. Filing the consolidated PAS-1 lets the state route eligibility into whichever program(s) apply to the applicant.

Senior Freeze: The Heart of NJ's Senior Property Tax Relief

Eligibility for tax year 2024 (filed in 2025) and tax year 2025 (filed in 2026):

Age 65 or older on December 31 of the application year (or receiving federal Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits as of that date).
Owned and lived in the home since December 31, 2022 or earlier (3+ year tenure as of the 2025 application year).
Still own and live in the home on December 31 of the application year.
Income limit: $168,268 or less for 2024 income; $172,475 or less for 2025 income. Combined income applies for married couples filing in the same home.
Property is subject to property taxes — not a vacation home, rental, or building with more than four units.

Mechanic: once approved, NJ establishes a base year — typically the year of first qualification — and reimburses the senior for property tax increases above that base year amount in subsequent years. The senior pays the current property tax bill in full to the municipality; NJ then issues a state reimbursement check covering the difference between current year and base year. The freeze is on out-of-pocket cost, not on the bill or the assessment.

One-year income exception: if income exceeds the limit in a single year but was within limits previously, the applicant retains their base year if all other eligibility requirements remain met. This protects against a one-time income spike (capital gain, IRA distribution) ending the freeze entirely. If income exceeds the limit in subsequent years after using the one-year exception, the senior must re-establish a new base year when income drops back under the cap.

Is your New Jersey assessment fair before you lock the freeze?

Senior Freeze reimburses against the increase from your base year, but the base year amount is whatever your bill was when you first qualified. If your assessment was inflated when you locked the base, you've locked in too high a starting point — an appeal before initial qualification matters disproportionately.

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ANCHOR: Income-Tested Rebate (Not Senior-Specific)

ANCHOR is the broader NJ property tax rebate, available to homeowners and renters regardless of age. For homeowners, the rebate amount tiers by income (up to $250,000 in income for any rebate; smaller rebates at higher tiers, larger rebates at lower tiers). Senior homeowners typically qualify for ANCHOR's larger senior tier (an additional bump for filers 65+), making it stackable with Senior Freeze. The application is the same PAS-1 combined form.

Stay NJ: The 2023 Program Adding Senior-Specific Tax Credits

Stay NJ, enacted in 2023, provides additional senior-specific property tax relief in the form of state credits that further reduce out-of-pocket cost beyond Senior Freeze and ANCHOR. The program's phased rollout is targeting credits up to 50% of property tax (capped at $6,500) for seniors meeting income limits. Stay NJ rolls into the same PAS-1 application; recipients of Senior Freeze and ANCHOR are evaluated for Stay NJ eligibility automatically.

The three-program stack means a qualifying NJ senior can simultaneously: (a) receive a Senior Freeze reimbursement check covering the increase from their base year, (b) receive an ANCHOR rebate based on income tier, and (c) receive a Stay NJ credit further reducing their net property tax burden. The combined effect for low-to-moderate-income seniors is among the most generous in the country — but it requires filing the PAS-1 to access.

Frequently Asked Questions

My New Jersey income jumped to $200,000 in 2024 due to a one-time IRA distribution. Did I lose Senior Freeze permanently?

No — NJ's Senior Freeze includes a one-year income exception. If your income exceeds the limit ($168,268 for 2024) in a single year but was within limits previously, you retain your base year for the next application year as long as all other eligibility requirements remain met. The one-year exception protects against capital gain spikes, IRA distributions, inheritance income, and similar one-off events. If income drops back below the limit in 2025, you continue receiving Senior Freeze on your established base year. If income exceeds the limit again in 2025, you'd need to re-establish a new base year when income returns to qualifying.

If I move to a different New Jersey home, does my Senior Freeze base year move with me?

The freeze itself doesn't port — but you can re-establish a Senior Freeze on the new home if you remain eligible. Re-establishment sets a new base year at the new property's current tax level, not the prior home's frozen amount. So a senior who froze at $7,200 in 2018, then moves to a similar NJ home in 2026 with $11,500 in property tax, would re-establish at $11,500 — not $7,200. Senior Freeze is structured as residency-and-ownership-anchored, not portable.

Do I need to file separate applications for Senior Freeze, ANCHOR, and Stay NJ in New Jersey?

No — since 2024, NJ uses a single combined application (Form PAS-1) that routes you into all three programs automatically. The PAS-1 replaced the older PTR-1 / PTR-2 (Senior Freeze) and standalone ANCHOR forms. File the PAS-1 by the deadline (typically October 31 of the year following the tax year, with some extensions for certain filers). The state evaluates your eligibility for all three programs and issues whichever benefits apply. Don't file three separate applications — file the consolidated PAS-1 and let the state route the routing.