Payment of ANCHOR benefits will occur sooner than expected, NJ says

New Jersey residents will receive payouts of ANCHOR property tax benefits sooner than expected, the Department of Revenue said in social media posts.

“We will begin rolling distribution of ANCHOR benefits in mid-October,” the agency said late last week. “Most applicants will receive their payments approximately 90 days after applying, unless additional information is required to process the application.”

The first round of benefits will go beyond those for which the state has automatically applied, the Treasury Department told NJ Advance Media.

“The majority of the first round of benefits will be for the Auto-File group, but some new applicants will also be included,” said spokeswoman Danielle Currie.

The state originally said the first payments would be made in November, but last year the first payments for the 2020 benefit year were made on Oct. 12 via direct deposit. Additional rounds of direct deposits and check payments were sent out in the following weeks.

The current ANCHOR benefit for tax year 2021 pays up to $1,500 to homeowners and $450 to renters. Older homeowners and renters will receive an additional $250.

You can check the status of your benefit on the state's ANCHOR website at nj.gov/treasury/taxation/anchor. Next, scroll down, select “Check Benefit Status” and select your benefit year. You will need to enter your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) and your zip code.

The submission deadline is November 30th, a month earlier than last year.

If you need assistance, you can call the ANCHOR hotline at (888) 238-1233 or (609) 826-4282 or contact a regional help center in person. You can find all locations here. An appointment is not required, but can be made on the state website.