New Jersey Form ANCHOR is the Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters application that homeowners and tenants file with the New Jersey Division of Taxation to claim a property tax relief benefit on their main home as of October 1 of the filing year. The program replaced the old Homestead Benefit and now pays up to $1,750 for senior homeowners, $1,500 for non-senior homeowners, and $700 for senior renters under the rules at N.J.S.A. 54:4-8.75 et seq..
Roughly 2 million New Jersey households filed ANCHOR for the most recent benefit year, and the Division of Taxation reports that close to 15% of paper applications are flagged for ID/PIN mismatches, missing block-and-lot numbers, or incorrect October 1 residency dates, which delays payment by 90 days or more, according to the Division’s ANCHOR FAQ.
Here is what you will learn in this guide:
- 📝 How to fill out every line of Form ANCHOR-H (homeowners) and Form ANCHOR-T (tenants) without triggering a hold
- 🏠 How the October 1 residency rule, multiple-owner share, and main-home test work for unusual living situations
- 💵 How the income limits ($150,000 and $250,000) change your benefit amount and whether you qualify at all
- 📬 How to file online, by phone, or by paper, including the exact portal, mailing address, and proof-of-filing to keep
- ❓ How to answer the 12 most common ANCHOR questions, including senior bonus, deceased filers, and the Stay NJ link
What Form ANCHOR Is and Who Must File It
Form ANCHOR is the only application a New Jersey homeowner or tenant uses to claim the ANCHOR property tax relief benefit, and it is administered by the New Jersey Division of Taxation under the authority of the Property Tax Relief Act amendments. The form replaced the Homestead Benefit application starting with benefit year 2019, and it now serves three different filer groups under one umbrella program. Homeowners file Form ANCHOR-H, tenants file Form ANCHOR-T, and seniors (age 65 or older) and disabled filers may receive an automatic PAS-1 mailer that pre-fills most of the application for them.
You must file ANCHOR if you owned and occupied a New Jersey home as your principal residence on October 1 of the benefit year, or if you rented and occupied a New Jersey unit as your principal residence on that same date, and your total New Jersey gross income did not exceed the program limits. The income cap for homeowners is $250,000, the cap for tenants is $150,000, and seniors who qualify for the senior bonus must also meet the age-65 or disability requirement on or before December 31 of the benefit year, per the official ANCHOR eligibility page.
You may not file ANCHOR if your residence was completely tax-exempt, if you lived in on-campus university housing, or if you occupied a tax-exempt nonprofit-owned building, because those properties do not pay the local property taxes the program is designed to offset. Filers who lived in multi-unit buildings owned by a relative, in a continuing-care retirement community, or in a co-op share special instructions found in the ANCHOR instructions PDF.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Gather every document below before you open the application, because the online portal times out after 30 minutes of inactivity, and missing one item forces you to start over from the beginning. The Division of Taxation’s pre-filing checklist is the source most filers skip, and skipping it is the single largest cause of rejected applications.
- ID Number and PIN from your ANCHOR mailer or the ID/PIN lookup tool; without these two numbers the online portal will not accept your filing
- Social Security Number or ITIN for you and your spouse or civil union partner, because the system cross-checks with the IRS and a mismatch triggers a manual review
- 2024 New Jersey gross income from Line 29 of your NJ-1040, because the income figure determines your benefit tier
- Block, lot, and qualifier for your property, found on your local property tax bill or on the NJ Property Records search, because the system rejects free-text addresses
- Landlord’s name and address if you are a tenant, because Form ANCHOR-T will not submit without a verified rental property
- Date of birth for the senior bonus, because the system calculates the age-65 test as of December 31 of the benefit year
- Bank routing and account number for direct deposit, because paper checks add 4–6 weeks to your payment
- Power of attorney or executor paperwork if you are filing for a deceased relative, because the Form ANCHOR-DEP supplement is required and rejection is automatic without it
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
Most homeowners and tenants do not need to download a paper form because the ANCHOR online portal walks you through Form ANCHOR-H or Form ANCHOR-T automatically based on your selection. The official paper versions are available as fillable PDFs on the Division of Taxation’s ANCHOR forms page, and the current revision date is printed in the lower-left corner of the form (the most recent version is dated Rev. 8/25).
Seniors and disabled filers who received the PAS-1 mailer will see most of their information already filled in by the state, and they can confirm the data by phone using the automated ANCHOR phone line at 1-877-658-2972. Tenants do not receive a PAS-1; they must file fresh each year because rental information changes more often than ownership data, and the state does not pre-populate tenant filings.
If you lost your ID/PIN mailer, retrieve a new one through the ID/PIN inquiry tool using your Social Security Number and ZIP code. If the tool cannot find you, call the ANCHOR Hotline at 1-888-238-1233 for a live agent, because the most common failure mode is a name change that did not propagate to the property tax file.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out Form ANCHOR Line by Line
The walkthrough below covers Form ANCHOR-H for homeowners first, then Form ANCHOR-T for tenants, in the exact order the fields appear on the official ANCHOR application. Sample entries appear in italics so you can tell them apart from instructions.
Box 1: ID Number
Box 1 asks for the 12-digit ID Number the state mailed to you on your ANCHOR notice or PAS-1 letter. To answer, copy the digits exactly as printed, with no spaces or dashes, into the ID Number field on the first page. Maria Lopez of Newark enters 123456789012 in Box 1. If you never received a mailer, use the ID/PIN lookup tool to retrieve your number rather than guessing. The most common mistake is reading the ID Number from a prior year’s letter, which causes an immediate “ID not found” rejection. Filers often believe the ID Number is their Social Security Number; it is not, and entering an SSN in Box 1 will fail the validation check.
Box 2: PIN
Box 2 asks for the 4-digit PIN that pairs with your ID Number on the same mailer. Enter the four digits with no leading zeros stripped, so 0427 stays 0427 and not 427. Carlos Rivera enters 0427 exactly as it appears on his PAS-1 letter. If your PIN is blocked after three failed attempts, you must wait 24 hours before retrying, per the portal lockout policy. The common mistake is confusing the PIN with the last four digits of the SSN, and the consequence is a permanent lock that requires a phone call to release. People often think the PIN never changes; it actually changes every benefit year, so last year’s PIN will not work.
Box 3: Filer’s Social Security Number
Box 3 asks for the primary filer’s nine-digit SSN or ITIN as it appears on the most recent NJ-1040. Enter it without dashes (123456789 not 123-45-6789). Janet Brooks enters 234567890 because that is the SSN on her 2024 New Jersey return. If you have an ITIN beginning with 9, enter the ITIN in the same field; the system accepts both. The common mistake is entering a spouse’s SSN first when the filing was joint, and the consequence is that the benefit gets routed to the wrong taxpayer. A common misconception is that the SSN has to match federal records; it must match your New Jersey records, which are sometimes a year behind the IRS.
Box 4: Spouse or Civil Union Partner SSN
Box 4 asks for the co-filer’s SSN or ITIN if you filed your 2024 NJ-1040 as Married Filing Jointly or as Civil Union Couple Filing Jointly. Leave the box blank if you filed Single, Head of Household, or Married Filing Separately. Aisha and Devon Carter, married joint filers, enter Devon’s SSN 345678901 in Box 4. If your spouse died during the benefit year, you still enter their SSN here and check the deceased indicator, per the deceased filer guidance. The common mistake is entering a spouse SSN when filing separately, which causes the benefit to be split incorrectly. People often think a divorce mid-year changes the rule; it does not, because ANCHOR uses the October 1 status.
Box 5: Filing Status
Box 5 asks you to mark the filing status that matched your 2024 NJ-1040 return. Place an X in exactly one box: Single, Married/CU Couple Joint, Married/CU Partner Separate, Head of Household, or Qualifying Widow(er)/Surviving CU Partner. Marcus Lee, a widower, marks Qualifying Widow(er). If your status changed between 2024 and the October 1 ownership date, use the 2024 status, because ANCHOR ties to the income tax year. The common mistake is marking Head of Household when the NJ-1040 said Single, and the consequence is an income mismatch hold. A common misconception is that ANCHOR follows federal status; it follows New Jersey status only.
Box 6: Date of Birth
Box 6 asks for the filer’s date of birth in MM/DD/YYYY format to determine eligibility for the senior bonus and the Stay NJ enrollment. Maria Lopez, born March 14, 1958, enters 03/14/1958. If you are filing jointly, both filers’ dates of birth must appear; the form prints two DOB lines for that reason. The common mistake is using a two-digit year (58 instead of 1958), which the portal accepts but the paper-form OCR scanner reads as 2058. Filers often believe the senior bonus is based on age at filing; it is actually based on age as of December 31 of the benefit year.
Box 7: Property Address
Box 7 asks for the physical address of the New Jersey home you owned and occupied on October 1 of the benefit year. Enter the street number, street name, unit, town, and ZIP exactly as it appears on the property tax bill, with no abbreviations the post office does not recognize. Carlos Rivera enters 412 Maple Avenue, Apt 2B, Newark, NJ 07104. If you have a P.O. Box for mail, do not enter it here; ANCHOR requires a street address because it ties to the property tax record. The common mistake is using the mailing address from the NJ-1040 when the homeowner spent October 1 at a second address, and the consequence is a denial because the addresses do not match the block-and-lot. Filers often think a vacation home counts; only the principal residence qualifies.
Box 8: Block, Lot, and Qualifier
Box 8 asks for the block, lot, and (if applicable) qualifier assigned to your property by the municipal tax assessor. Find these three fields on your property tax bill or use NJ Parcels to look them up. Janet Brooks enters Block 0123, Lot 45, Qualifier C0002 for her condo. Condominium and co-op units almost always have a qualifier, single-family homes usually do not. The common mistake is leaving the qualifier blank for a condo, which causes the application to attach to the entire building instead of the individual unit, and the benefit gets denied. People often confuse “lot” with “house number”; the lot is a tax parcel ID, not a street number.
Box 9: Percentage of Ownership
Box 9 asks for your share of ownership in the property as a percentage. Enter 100 if you are the sole owner or own jointly with a spouse who is on the application; enter your fractional percentage if the deed names other owners. Devon and Aisha Carter, joint owners, enter 100. If three siblings inherited the home equally and only one is the filer, that filer enters 33.33. The common mistake is entering 100 when a non-spouse co-owner exists, which causes an inflated benefit and a clawback letter from the Division of Taxation. A frequent misconception is that ownership equals occupancy; only the deed determines the percentage, not who lives there.
Box 10: Multiple-Owner Indicator
Box 10 asks whether anyone else who is not your spouse or civil union partner owns the property with you. Mark Yes or No with an X. Marcus Lee, who co-owns with his adult daughter, marks Yes and lists her name and SSN on the supplemental schedule. If you mark Yes, the benefit gets divided according to ownership percentages, per the multiple-owner instructions. The common mistake is marking No to avoid the schedule, which the state catches by cross-checking the deed registry, and the consequence is a fraud referral. People often think a co-signer on the mortgage counts; only deed owners count, not mortgage co-signers.
Box 11: Main Home Indicator
Box 11 asks whether the property at Box 7 was your principal residence on October 1. Mark Yes or No. Maria Lopez, who lived in her Newark home all year, marks Yes. If you owned multiple New Jersey homes, only one can be your main home; choose the one where you slept the majority of nights and received your mail. The common mistake is marking Yes for a vacation home in Cape May, and the consequence is denial because the state cross-references with the NJ-1040 mailing address and the voter file. Filers often think a snowbird who spends winters in Florida loses eligibility; you keep eligibility as long as the New Jersey home stays your domicile.
Box 12: New Jersey Gross Income
Box 12 asks for your 2024 New Jersey gross income from Line 29 of your NJ-1040. Enter the dollar amount with no decimals (68450 not 68,450.00). Aisha Carter enters 82500 because that is the figure on her joint 2024 NJ-1040. If you were not required to file a New Jersey return because your income fell below the filing threshold, enter 0 and check the non-filer box. The common mistake is using federal AGI from Form 1040 instead of New Jersey gross income, and the consequence is a benefit recalculation 6–9 months later. People often confuse “income” with “taxable income”; ANCHOR uses gross income, which is larger than taxable income.
Box 13: Senior or Disabled Indicator
Box 13 asks whether you were age 65 or older, or blind/disabled, on or before December 31 of the benefit year. Mark Yes to claim the senior bonus, which adds $250 on top of the base homeowner benefit. Marcus Lee, who turned 66 in November 2024, marks Yes. If you are claiming on the basis of disability rather than age, attach a copy of your Social Security disability award letter or VA disability rating. The common mistake is checking Yes when the filer turned 65 on January 2 of the next year, and the consequence is the bonus being clawed back. Filers often think Medicare enrollment proves age 65; ANCHOR requires the calendar-year birthday, not Medicare status.
Box 14: Direct Deposit Information
Box 14 asks for your bank routing number and account number if you want direct deposit instead of a paper check. Enter the 9-digit routing number first and the account number second, and mark Checking or Savings. Janet Brooks enters routing 021000021 and account 1234567890, marked Checking. If you leave Box 14 blank, the state mails a paper check to the Box 7 address, which adds 4–6 weeks of float time. The common mistake is entering the debit-card number instead of the account number, and the consequence is a rejected ACH and a paper check 90 days later. People often think the routing number is on the front of the check; it is the first set of digits at the bottom-left of the check, not the top.
Box 15: Signature and Date
Box 15 asks for your signature, the date you signed, and your daytime phone number. Sign with ink on paper filings; the online portal captures an e-signature when you click Submit. Devon Carter signs Devon T. Carter, dates 04/15/2026, and lists (973) 555-0142. Joint filers must both sign; one signature on a joint return is not sufficient. The common mistake is dating the form before completing it and then making changes after the date, which technically invalidates the signature. A common misconception is that an electronic signature on the portal is weaker than a wet signature; under N.J.S.A. 12A:12-7, they carry equal legal weight.
ANCHOR-T Box 16: Rental Property Address
For tenants, Box 16 asks for the physical address of the New Jersey rental unit you occupied on October 1. Enter street, unit, town, and ZIP exactly as printed on your lease. Carlos Rivera, a renter, enters 88 Bloomfield Ave, Apt 4D, Montclair, NJ 07042. If you moved during the year, list the address where you slept on October 1, not the address where you live at the time of filing. The common mistake is listing the new apartment address after a December move, and the consequence is a denial because the October 1 lease did not match. Renters often think a sublet does not qualify; it does, as long as the rent paid is on the books.
ANCHOR-T Box 17: Landlord’s Name and Address
Box 17 asks for the landlord’s full legal name and mailing address, found on the lease or on the rent receipt. Enter the property management company name if your lease names the company rather than the individual owner. Aisha Carter, a tenant, enters Sunrise Property Management LLC, 200 Bay Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302. If your landlord is a relative, enter their information honestly; gifts disguised as rent do not qualify, per the tenant eligibility rules. The common mistake is leaving the landlord blank to “protect privacy,” which causes an automatic rejection because the state cannot verify the rental. Renters often think a Section 8 voucher disqualifies them; it does not, as long as the tenant paid some portion of rent out of pocket.
ANCHOR-T Box 18: Rent Paid
Box 18 asks for the total rent paid during the benefit year for the unit at Box 16. Add up the 12 months of rent and enter the total with no decimals (18000 for $1,500 per month). Marcus Lee enters 14400 for his $1,200/month senior apartment. If utilities are bundled into rent, the state assumes 18% is property tax under N.J.A.C. 18:35-4.6, so do not back utilities out yourself. The common mistake is entering monthly rent instead of annual rent, which results in a benefit one-twelfth the size you deserve. Renters often think security deposits count toward rent paid; they do not, because deposits are refundable.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
The three named filers below show how the most common ANCHOR fact patterns flow through the form. Each scenario uses the current ANCHOR-H or ANCHOR-T form and the filing portal.
Scenario 1: Maria Lopez, Senior Homeowner in Newark
| Form Section | What Maria Enters |
|---|---|
| Box 1 ID Number | 123456789012 (from her PAS-1 mailer) |
| Box 2 PIN | 0427 |
| Box 3 SSN | 234567890 |
| Box 5 Filing Status | Single |
| Box 6 Date of Birth | 03/14/1958 |
| Box 7 Property Address | 55 Clinton Ave, Newark, NJ 07108 |
| Box 8 Block/Lot | Block 0512, Lot 18 |
| Box 11 Main Home | Yes |
| Box 12 NJ Gross Income | 38000 |
| Box 13 Senior Indicator | Yes |
| Box 14 Direct Deposit | Routing 021000021, Account 9988776655 |
| Expected Benefit | $1,750 (homeowner base + senior bonus) |
Scenario 2: Carlos Rivera, Tenant in Montclair
| Form Section | What Carlos Enters |
|---|---|
| Box 1 ID Number | 987654321098 |
| Box 2 PIN | 3309 |
| Box 3 SSN | 345678901 |
| Box 5 Filing Status | Single |
| Box 6 Date of Birth | 07/22/1990 |
| Box 12 NJ Gross Income | 54000 |
| Box 13 Senior Indicator | No |
| Box 16 Rental Address | 88 Bloomfield Ave, Apt 4D, Montclair, NJ 07042 |
| Box 17 Landlord | Sunrise Property Management LLC |
| Box 18 Annual Rent | 21600 |
| Box 15 Signature Date | 04/15/2026 |
| Expected Benefit | $450 (non-senior tenant) |
Scenario 3: Devon and Aisha Carter, Joint Homeowners with a Co-Owner
| Form Section | What the Carters Enter |
|---|---|
| Box 1 ID Number | 112233445566 |
| Box 2 PIN | 5511 |
| Box 3 Filer SSN | 456789012 (Devon) |
| Box 4 Spouse SSN | 567890123 (Aisha) |
| Box 5 Filing Status | Married/CU Couple Joint |
| Box 7 Property Address | 17 Garden St, Hoboken, NJ 07030 |
| Box 8 Block/Lot/Qualifier | Block 210, Lot 7, Qualifier C0001 |
| Box 9 Percentage of Ownership | 66.67 (Devon’s mother holds 33.33%) |
| Box 10 Multiple Owners | Yes (mother listed on schedule) |
| Box 12 NJ Gross Income | 182000 |
| Box 13 Senior Indicator | No |
| Expected Benefit | $1,000 (homeowner tier 2, prorated to 66.67%) |
How to File the Completed Form
The ANCHOR online portal is the fastest filing channel, costs nothing, and produces an electronic confirmation number within minutes. Log in with your ID Number and PIN, follow the screen prompts that mirror the boxes above, and submit. The portal accepts no payment because the form is free, and your proof of filing is the on-screen confirmation page that you should save as a PDF. Processing time for online filings averages 90 days to direct deposit, per the Division’s status page.
The phone channel uses the automated ANCHOR line at 1-877-658-2972 and is reserved for filers who received a PAS-1 mailer with no required changes. Have your ID and PIN ready, follow the voice prompts, and write down the confirmation number the system reads at the end. There is no fee, no payment method, and processing matches the online channel at roughly 90 days. Phone filers who need to change their direct deposit must use the online portal instead, because the phone system cannot edit bank data.
The paper channel uses Form ANCHOR-H or ANCHOR-T mailed to ANCHOR Application, Revenue Processing Center, P.O. Box 636, Trenton, NJ 08646-0636, per the mailing instructions. There is no fee and no payment, but you should mail the form by USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt for proof of filing, because the state does not send acknowledgements for paper filings. Paper processing takes 120–150 days, so file early if you need the money for a tax bill.
What Happens After You File
Within minutes of an online or phone filing, the ANCHOR status tool shows “Received,” which means your application is in the queue. Within 30 days the status moves to “Processing,” and within 90 days it should move to “Approved” with a payment date. If the status sticks on “Under Review” past 90 days, that almost always means an ID/PIN, income, or block-and-lot mismatch is being worked manually, and you will receive a letter at the Box 7 address asking for clarification.
Approved filers receive payment by direct deposit if Box 14 was completed, or by paper check mailed to the property address. The check is not taxable on either federal or New Jersey returns because it is classified as a property tax rebate under IRS Rev. Rul. 75-271 reasoning. Denied filers receive a notice with a 90-day appeal window; the appeal goes to the Division of Taxation Conference and Appeals Branch using the form letter included with the denial.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
- Entering last year’s PIN, which causes the portal to lock the account after three tries and forces a 24-hour wait
- Writing the federal AGI from Form 1040 in Box 12 instead of New Jersey gross income, which triggers a recalculation hold
- Leaving the qualifier blank on a condo in Box 8, which attaches the application to the entire building and produces a denial
- Marking 100% ownership in Box 9 when a non-spouse co-owner is on the deed, which produces a clawback letter
- Selecting the wrong filing status in Box 5 to match a current marital state instead of the 2024 NJ-1040 status, which causes a mismatch hold
- Listing a vacation home address in Box 7, which fails the principal-residence cross-check against the voter file
- Forgetting to attach the Form ANCHOR-DEP supplement for a deceased spouse, which produces an automatic denial
- Entering monthly rent in Box 18 instead of annual rent, which slashes the tenant benefit to roughly $37
- Using a P.O. Box in Box 7 instead of the property’s street address, which the system cannot tie to a block and lot
- Skipping Box 14 direct deposit, which delays payment by 4–6 weeks while the state prints and mails a paper check
- Signing Box 15 before completing the rest of the form and then changing entries, which technically invalidates the signature
- Entering an ITIN in Box 3 with dashes (9XX-XX-XXXX), which fails the 9-digit numeric validation
Do’s and Don’ts
- Do file online whenever possible because the portal performs real-time validation that catches the top three errors before submission
- Do save a PDF of the confirmation page because it is your only proof of filing on the online channel
- Do use the ID/PIN inquiry tool before guessing, because three failed PIN attempts lock the account
- Do enter your block, lot, and qualifier exactly as printed on the property tax bill, because manual entry from memory produces transcription errors
- Do confirm your 2024 NJ-1040 figure on Line 29 before entering Box 12, because the state cross-checks against the income tax file
- Do mail paper filings by Certified Mail with Return Receipt, because the state issues no acknowledgement for paper applications
- Don’t use last year’s ID Number or PIN, because both are reissued every benefit year
- Don’t enter federal AGI in Box 12, because ANCHOR uses New Jersey gross income, which is a different and usually larger figure
- Don’t leave the multiple-owner box blank when a non-spouse is on the deed, because the deed registry catches the omission
- Don’t sign the paper form in pencil, because the Division of Taxation treats pencil signatures as unsigned
- Don’t file ANCHOR if your residence was tax-exempt on October 1, because the program offsets property taxes that were actually paid
- Don’t wait until the last week of the filing window, because portal traffic spikes cause timeouts that lose unsaved progress
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
- Pro of filing alone: zero cost because ANCHOR has no filing fee and no preparer is required
- Pro of filing alone: fastest turnaround when the filer has the ID, PIN, and NJ-1040 figure ready
- Pro of filing alone: full control over direct deposit information and mailing address
- Pro of filing alone: the online portal flags most common errors in real time
- Pro of filing alone: confirmation number arrives instantly and the status tool updates within hours
- Con of filing alone: no professional eye on the multiple-owner percentage, which is the most expensive field to get wrong
- Con of filing alone: seniors filing for a deceased spouse may miss the ANCHOR-DEP supplement and trigger a denial
- Con of filing alone: filers with non-standard residency (snowbirds, mid-year movers) often misjudge the October 1 test
- Con of filing alone: mistakes on Box 12 income can ripple into the next year’s NJ-1040 audit
- Con of filing alone: an appeal after denial is harder to write without representation
ANCHOR vs. Senior Freeze vs. Stay NJ
| Feature | Three Programs at a Glance |
|---|---|
| ANCHOR (apply here) | Annual rebate up to $1,750 for senior homeowners, $1,500 non-senior, $700 senior renters; income cap $250,000 homeowners, $150,000 tenants |
| Senior Freeze (PTR-1/PTR-2) (apply here) | Reimburses property tax increases over a base year for seniors 65+ or disabled; income cap roughly $168,268 for the most recent year |
| Stay NJ (program page) | New 2026 program paying up to 50% of property taxes (max $6,500) for seniors 65+ with income under $500,000; combined with ANCHOR + Senior Freeze through one PAS-1 application |
FAQs
Do I need to file ANCHOR every year?
Yes. ANCHOR is an annual benefit, and you must file each year unless the state mails you a PAS-1 confirming no information has changed; even then you confirm by phone or portal.
Can I file ANCHOR if I missed last year’s deadline?
No. Each benefit year has its own deadline, and the Division of Taxation does not accept late prior-year filings except for narrow hardship reasons documented in writing.
Do I write my maiden name or married name in the signature box?
Yes, use the name that appears on your 2024 NJ-1040 and your Social Security card; if those disagree, fix the SSA record first because ANCHOR cross-checks against SSA.
Should I enter the block-and-lot from the deed or the tax bill in Box 8?
Yes, use the tax bill version because municipalities sometimes renumber parcels after deed recording, and ANCHOR matches against the current municipal tax roll.
Do I count my Social Security in Box 12 New Jersey gross income?
No. New Jersey gross income excludes Social Security benefits under N.J.S.A. 54A:6-2, so do not add Social Security to the figure on Line 29 of the NJ-1040.
Should I claim the senior bonus if I turned 65 on January 1 of the next year?
No. The senior bonus requires age 65 on or before December 31 of the benefit year, so a January 1 birthday in the following year disqualifies you for that year’s bonus.
Can a tenant in subsidized housing file ANCHOR?
Yes, as long as the tenant paid some portion of rent out of pocket and the building is not 100% tax-exempt; full Section 8 with a tax-exempt building does not qualify.
Do I need to file ANCHOR if my income was $0?
Yes, you can still file with 0 in Box 12 and a check in the non-filer box, because ANCHOR has no minimum income, only a maximum.
Is the ANCHOR payment taxable on my federal return?
No. The IRS treats ANCHOR as a property tax rebate, not income, so it does not appear on Form 1040; it also does not reduce the SALT deduction unless you itemized that year.
Can I amend a submitted ANCHOR application?
Yes, by calling the ANCHOR Hotline at 1-888-238-1233 within 90 days of submission; after 90 days you must file a written appeal.
Do co-owners who are siblings each file separately?
Yes, each non-spouse co-owner files their own ANCHOR-H with their own ownership percentage in Box 9, and the benefit is split accordingly.
Should I file ANCHOR for a parent who died in the benefit year?
Yes, as the executor or surviving spouse, using the Form ANCHOR-DEP supplement plus a copy of the death certificate and letters testamentary.
Can I get ANCHOR and Senior Freeze in the same year?
Yes. The two programs stack, and seniors who qualify for both should file each application; the PAS-1 combined mailer lets eligible seniors confirm both at once.
Do I lose ANCHOR if I sell my home in November?
No. The October 1 ownership test controls, so a November sale does not affect that year’s benefit; you simply will not qualify for the following year as a homeowner.
Related reading
- How to Fill Out New Jersey Form CN-10075 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out New Jersey Form CN-11116 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out New Jersey Form CN-11257 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out New Jersey Form NJ-1040-NR (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out New Jersey Form PTR-1 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out New Jersey Form PTR-2 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out New Jersey Form NJ-1080-C (w/Examples) + FAQs