Bill Raising Awareness of Property Tax Relief Programs Advances

OCEAN TOWNSHIP – Legislation sponsored by Assembly Members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey to help ensure that New Jersey taxpayers are well aware of the property tax relief programs available to them was approved by an Assembly panel on Monday.

“It’s no secret that New Jersey has one of the highest property tax rates in the country,” said Houghtaling. “But what may be a secret to many is that there are a number of tax relief programs that they might be eligible for. This bill will ensure that taxpayers are aware of the relief that is available.”

Specifically, the bill (A-1048) would require each tax bill to include a statement noting that a listing of the various state property tax relief programs and their eligibility requirements is available on the website of the Division of Taxation in the Department of Treasury. The tax bill shall also include links to the websites of the Department of Community Affairs and the Division of Taxation containing this information.

“Through no further cost to the state or local governments, this simple change can help ensure that residents, particularly seniors, are well-informed of the tax relief programs that might go a long way towards offsetting the property tax burden,” said Downey.

Current state statute already requires that certain information be included with tax bills, such as a brief tabulation showing the distribution of the amount raised by taxation, along with links to information on the website of the Department of Community Affairs.

The measure cleared the Assembly State and Local Government Committee on Monday and now awaits further consideration from the Assembly.