Paying Property Taxes In New Brunswick, Nj

If you're a resident of New Brunswick, New Jersey, you can pay your property taxes online through the City of New Brunswick website, in person at City Hall, by check through postal mail, or by AUTOPAY through your bank's online bill-pay service. The Department of Finance is responsible for the administration of the city's finances, including the billing and collection of taxes. The average property tax bill in New Brunswick was $6,658 in 2023, the lowest in Middlesex County.

Payment methods

The City of New Brunswick offers several ways to pay your property taxes. You can pay:

• Online through the City of New Brunswick website
• In person at City Hall
• By check through postal mail
• By AUTOPAY through your bank's online bill-pay service

The Township of South Brunswick offers similar payment options, including:

• Paying online through their website (fees apply)
• Mailing a check to their office
• Putting a check in their drop box (located outside of the Finance Department)

South Brunswick also offers an ACH Direct Debit plan, which allows residents to enrol for free and have their property tax payments debited directly from their checking or savings account quarterly.

The Township of East Brunswick also offers online bill payment, as well as payment by mail or bank ACH Direct Withdrawal.

The Township of North Brunswick does not specify its payment methods, but it does provide contact details for its Tax Collector's office, which bills and collects all property taxes.

Payment deadlines

The City of New Brunswick's Department of Finance is responsible for billing and collecting taxes. Property taxes in New Brunswick, New Jersey, are due four times a year: February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. There is a 10-day grace period for payments, and if the 10th falls on a weekend or a holiday, you have until the next business day to make the payment. However, postmarks are not accepted, and interest will be charged for late payments.

The Township of South Brunswick and East Brunswick also follow the same payment deadlines and grace period as New Brunswick.

In North Brunswick, the Tax Collector, a division of the Finance Office, is responsible for billing and collecting all property taxes. They also hold an annual tax sale for unpaid municipal charges on May 11th.

The average property tax bill in New Brunswick in 2023 was $6,658, the lowest in Middlesex County.

Property tax rates

The Township's Tax Assessor division of the Finance Department is responsible for determining the value of all real property within its boundaries. This valuation serves as the basis for the Township's property tax levy. The assessments are based on the market value of each property, and taxpayers have the right to appeal these assessments with the Middlesex County Tax Board on or before April 1 of each year.

The property tax rate in New Brunswick, NJ, is calculated using the General Tax Rate, which is $10 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value. This means that for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value, $10 is levied as property tax. For example, for a property with an assessed value of $450,000, the estimated tax bill would be $13,977. It is important to note that the Effective Tax Rate, which is used to compare tax rates between districts, should not be used to calculate property taxes.

In 2023, the average property tax bill in New Brunswick was $6,658, which was the lowest in Middlesex County. Property taxes in New Brunswick are due quarterly on February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. There is a 10-day grace period for late payments, and interest will be charged on payments made after this grace period.

Property owners in New Brunswick have multiple options for paying their property taxes. These include paying online through the City of New Brunswick website, in person at City Hall, by check through postal mail, or by enrolling in an AUTOPAY service through their bank's online bill-pay service.

Tax relief programs

The City of New Brunswick collects property taxes through its Department of Finance, which is responsible for the administration of the city's finances, including the assessment of all properties within the city's boundaries, billing, and collection of taxes. While specific tax relief programs for New Brunswick were not readily available, here is a list of some general tax relief programs in New Jersey:

• Senior Freeze Program (Property Tax Reimbursement): This program provides property tax reimbursement to eligible senior citizens. It is available in South Brunswick and East Brunswick.
• StayNJ Property Tax Credit Program: This program offers tax credits to New Jersey homeowners aged 65 and over, with an income cap of $500,000 per year. The credits are worth up to half of their property tax bills, up to a maximum of $6,500.
• Homestead Benefit Program (Replaced by ANCHOR): This program was replaced by ANCHOR, which is a property tax relief program in North Brunswick.
• Deductions, Exemptions, and Abatements: These are available for senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, surviving spouses of recipients of deductions, veterans, and surviving spouses of veterans.
• General Tax Rate: This is the tax rate used to calculate the levy on a property. It is $10 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value.

For more information on state property tax relief programs, eligibility criteria, and potential deductions or credits, you can visit the Division of Taxation's website at https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/relief.shtml. Additionally, you can contact the New Brunswick Department of Finance or the local tax office for specific details on tax relief programs offered in New Brunswick, NJ.

Appealing an assessment

Appealing a Property Tax Assessment in New Brunswick, NJ

If you believe that your property has been unfairly over-assessed, you can appeal your property tax assessment. Appeals must be filed with the Middlesex County Tax Board, on or before April 1st of each year.

To initiate the appeal process, contact the New Brunswick Assessor's Office at (732) 745 5045 and ask for a property tax appeal form. You will need to submit a form describing your property and provide proof that it is over-assessed, such as valuations of similar homes nearby. If your appeal is successful, your property assessment and property taxes will be lowered.

Appeals must focus on the assessment vs. market value. The tax assessor's valuation of your property is based on the market value, and you must prove that their assessed value is unreasonable compared to this standard. If you believe the assessor's valuation is higher than the true market value of your property, you can request a re-appraisal at a lower value.

The filing fee for tax assessment appeals depends on the assessed value of the property:

• $5 for a property assessed under $150,000
• $25 for a property assessed between $150,000 - $500,000
• $100 for a property assessed between $500,000 and $1,000,000

If you are unsatisfied with the decision of the County Tax Board, you can further appeal to the New Jersey Tax Court. This appeal must be filed within 45 days of the date of the County Tax Board's judgment. If your property's assessment is over $1 million, you may appeal directly to the Tax Court, bypassing the County Tax Board.

Frequently asked questions