Deadline Approaches for Local Real Property Tax Appeals
Local real property taxes in New Jersey are assessed according to value. A municipal assessor makes his or her determination of real property value as of each October 1. The tax assessor must notify each taxpayer of the current assessment and preceding year’s taxes by mail prior to February 1st of each year.
In New Jersey, a property owner can appeal the local real property’s assessment to the County Tax Board and the various courts.
Appeals must be filed with the County Board of Taxation on or before April 1 of the tax year or within 45 days from the date that the Assessment Notifications are mailed by the taxing district, whichever is later.
In a revalued/reassessed district, appeals must be filed on or before May 1 of the current year. In a reassessment year, a taxpayer need not show an assessment outside the “common level range” for the municipality in order to prevail on appeal.
A number of southern New Jersey municipalities have completed reassessments for the 2015 tax year.
If the property’s assessed valuation exceeds $1 million, the taxpayer or taxing district may bypass the County Board of Taxation and file a petition of appeal called Form of Complaint with the State Tax Court by April 1 of the tax year or within 45 days from the date that the Assessment Notifications are mailed by the taxing district, whichever is later. In a revalued/reassessed district, appeals must be filed on or before May 1 of the current year.
If you are dissatisfied with the judgment of the County Board of Taxation, you may file an Appeal with the State Tax Court of New Jersey within 45 days of the date of the final judgment.
Appeals from the Tax Court judgments may be carried to the Superior Court, Appellate Division within 45 days.
The standard measure of property value is “true value” or market value, that is, what a willing, knowledgeable buyer would pay a willing, knowledgeable seller on the open market at a bona fide sale as of the statutory October 1 pretax year assessment date. The value of qualified farmland is based upon its productive capabilities when devoted to agricultural or horticultural uses.
County, municipal, and school budget costs determine the amount of property tax to be paid. A town’s general tax rate is calculated by dividing the total dollar amount it needs to raise to meet local budget expenses by the total assessed value of all its taxable property. An individual’s property taxes are then calculated by multiplying that general tax rate by the assessed value of his particular property.