Form PAS-1: NJ's Combined Property Tax Relief Application
Form PAS-1 is the one application seniors and disabled residents file for ANCHOR, Senior Freeze, and Stay NJ. Who must file, how, and the November 2, 2026 deadline.
Quick answer
What is Form PAS-1?
Form PAS-1 is New Jersey’s combined property tax relief application — one filing that covers ANCHOR, the Senior Freeze, and Stay NJ. It’s filed by homeowners and renters who are 65 or older or receiving Social Security disabilitybenefits. You don’t choose programs — the Division of Taxation determines everything you qualify for from the one form. For the 2025 benefit year, the deadline is November 2, 2026, and the state does not file it for you.
Key takeaways
- One form, three programs: the PAS-1 replaced separate ANCHOR and PTR filings for seniors and disabled residents starting with the 2024 benefit year.
- Who files it: anyone 65+ by December 31, 2025, or receiving Social Security/Railroad Retirement disability benefits. Everyone else is handled by ANCHOR’s auto-file (ANC-1) process.
- Deadline for the 2025 benefit year: November 2, 2026.
- File online at propertytaxrelief.nj.gov (ID.me, direct deposit, instant confirmation) or on paper to PO Box 635 (homeowners) / PO Box 636 (renters), Trenton.
- One filing produces up to three separate payments on three different calendars — that’s normal.
On this page
What the PAS-1 is and why it exists
Form PAS-1 (Property Tax Relief Application)
New Jersey’s single application for seniors and disabled residents to claim every state property tax relief program at once — ANCHOR, the Senior Freeze, and Stay NJ. Introduced for the 2024 benefit year by the Stay NJ Act.
Before PAS-1, a senior homeowner chasing full relief filed an ANCHOR application and a PTR-1 or PTR-2 for the Senior Freeze — different forms, different deadlines, different income definitions. The 2023 Stay NJ law forced a cleanup: one form, one deadline, one income section, and the Division of Taxation computes all three programs from it in sequence (ANCHOR, then Senior Freeze, then Stay NJ — the order matters because Stay NJ tops up the other two).
You never pick programs on the form, and filing it can’t hurt you: if you qualify for one program but not another, you simply receive the ones you qualify for.
Who must file PAS-1 — and who shouldn't
| Your situation (2025 benefit year) | What you file |
|---|---|
| Homeowner or renter, 65+ by December 31, 2025 | PAS-1 — by November 2, 2026 |
| Receiving Social Security disability (or Railroad Retirement disability), any age | PAS-1 — by November 2, 2026 |
| Under 65, not on disability — homeowner or renter | Nothing, usually: ANCHOR is auto-filed via ANC-1 letters (mailed August 2026). File an ANCHOR application only if the state doesn’t have you on record. |
| Turned 65 during 2025 | PAS-1— don’t rely on a prior year’s auto-file; the senior path is yours now (and worth more). |
What one filing gets you
A single 2025 PAS-1 can produce all of the following:
- ANCHOR: $1,000–$1,750 for homeowners (income ≤ $250,000) or $450–$700 for renters (≤ $150,000), paid from about September 2026.
- Senior Freeze: your property tax increase above your base year (income ≤ $172,475 for 2025), paid in waves July–December 2026.
- Stay NJ: the top-up to 50% of your bill, max $6,500 (65+, income under $500,000), paid quarterly from ~February 2027.
Estimate your combined total in the relief calculator, or check what you’re likely eligible for with the eligibility checker.
How to file (the short version)
- Online (recommended): propertytaxrelief.nj.gov — ID.me identity verification, save-and-resume, instant confirmation number, and the only way to get direct deposit.
- Paper: download or request the 2025 PAS-1; homeowners mail to PO Box 635, renters to PO Box 636, Trenton NJ 08646.
- Documents: 2024 and 2025 property tax bills (or rent records), income records for both years, SSA-1099s; first-time Senior Freeze claimants add base-year proof.
The full walkthrough with screenshots-level detail is in how to file PAS-1; the paper vs. online comparison settles which channel fits you; and the checklist tool builds your document list in three questions.
After filing: three programs, three calendars
Your single application fans out into separate reviews and payments. Rough 2026–27 rhythm for a July 2026 filer:
- July–December 2026: Senior Freeze wave payment (by November 1 or December 1 for summer/fall filers).
- September–December 2026: ANCHOR payment (within ~90 days of filing).
- From ~February 2027: Stay NJ quarterly installments.
Track each one in PAS-1 status. And mark the deadline in the deadline guide — November 2, 2026 closes the entire window for all three programs at once.
Frequently asked questions
Do I choose which programs to apply for on the PAS-1?
No — there are no program checkboxes. You report your situation (age, residence, ownership, income) and the Division determines every program you qualify for and its amount. Filing never reduces what you get.
Is the PAS-1 filed every year?
Yes. Each benefit year has its own PAS-1 and deadline. Skipping a year means skipping that year’s ANCHOR, Senior Freeze, and Stay NJ — and can reset your Senior Freeze base year.
I'm 70 but only want ANCHOR. Can I skip the PAS-1 and wait for auto-file?
No — auto-filing is for under-65, non-disabled residents only. At 65+ the PAS-1 is your ANCHOR application. Filing it also captures the Senior Freeze and Stay NJ, which for most seniors are worth more than ANCHOR itself.
Do renters file the PAS-1?
Renters who are 65+ or on Social Security disability, yes — the PAS-1 is how they claim ANCHOR’s renter benefit($450, or $700 at 65+). Paper filings from renters go to PO Box 636. The Senior Freeze and Stay NJ portions simply won’t apply.
Is there a fee to file the PAS-1?
Never. Filing is free online and on paper, and free in-person help is available at Division regional information centers. Anyone charging to “file your Stay NJ” or “release your benefit” is a scam.
Sources
This guide was fact-checked against the following official sources:
- Property Tax Relief Programs — NJ Division of Taxation
- 2025 Form PAS-1 Instructions — NJ Division of Taxation
- Property Tax Relief Filing Portal — State of New Jersey
- Property Tax Relief Programs FAQs — NJ Division of Taxation
Last reviewed · See our editorial policy for how guides are fact-checked and corrected.
What changed on this page
- — Initial publication for the 2025 benefit year: who must file PAS-1, the November 2, 2026 deadline, and filing channels — verified against NJ Division of Taxation instructions.
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NJ Programs Editorial Team · Research & Editorial
The editorial team researches, writes, and maintains every guide on this site, checking each fact against official NJ Division of Taxation publications before and after publication.