Responsibilities

The four main functions of the Office of the Tax Collector are Billing, Reporting, Enforcement, and Collection.

It is the responsibility of the Tax Office to bill and collect all monies owed by property owners to the Township for the Municipal, County, and School tax portions of the annual budget. Therefore, the preparation and collection of quarterly tax bills and annual utility billing is first and foremost. 

Property taxes are calculated based on the assessed value of the property, multiplied by the tax rate. The assessed value is determined by the Tax Assessor. For more information about the assessment of your property, please refer to the tax assessor page or contact the office of the tax assessor. The tax rate is set and certified by the Essex County Board of Taxation a few weeks after adoption of the municipal budget.

The 1^st and 2^nd quarter of the year are billed in the prior year and based on the previous year’s tax rate. The 3^rd and 4^th quarter are then billed later in the year and reflect any changes in the tax rate or assessment.

Tax and Utility Collection

Property taxes, sewer, and storm water are separate charges. The escrow that is paid to your mortgage company does not pay sewer and storm water fees.  Please refer to the page titled “Property Tax and Sewer Bill Information” for detailed information regarding billing and collection. For additional questions, please call (973) 762-8120 ext. 2800.

Contactless, secure online payments are the most efficient and preferred method. When possible, please pay online via WIPP/Autopay or via Billpay through your financial institution. You can use both options to pay tax and utilities by setting up one-time or recurring payments. These electronic payment methods help to avoid late payments, offer increased security against fraud compared to mail, and centralize your bill management in one place. 

Tax Sale

The Township conducts an annual Tax sale that takes place in the Fall. New Jersey requires that at least 4 weeks of notice be given to property owners immediately prior to the week of the sale.  Failure to mail the notice or failure for the homeowner to receive notification does not invalidate any tax sale proceeding. All prior year balances will be included in the tax sale. Once your property is in tax sale status you cannot pay online. All payments to be removed from tax sale must be paid in full by money order, certified check, or cash.  Cash payments greater than the amount due to stay out of tax sale will result in a credit to any open billing on your account. If you drop off or send a personal check it will be returned to you and you will be at risk of missing the deadline for payment. All parcels not removed from sale will be auctioned off to a 3rd party lienholder.

Liens

Once a lien has been placed on a parcel, the only person(s) able to redeem that lien are:  the owner, his/her heirs, the holder of a prior open tax certificate, mortgage holder, or legal occupant of the property; and may only redeem until the right to redeem has been cut off. Payment to redeem a lien must be made in full by cash or certified funds, through the Tax Collector's office. 

Please call us at (973) 762-8120 ext. 3000 with any questions regarding a lien on your property.

PAS-1  Forms

New in 2025 — There is a single Combined Application for the Senior Freeze (Property Tax Reimbursement), ANCHOR, and Stay NJ Programs. Applications are due on October 31, 2025. We have made it easier for seniors and those receiving Social Security disability benefits in New Jersey to apply for Property Tax Relief with a new, simplified process. Our goal is to make the filing experience more straightforward and efficient with a single combined application (Form PAS-1). The information in reported in your PAS-1 form will determine your eligibility. The Division of Taxation will notify applicants of their qualified benefits by mail at the end of the year.

The deadline and any deadline extensions for PAS-1 applications are determined by the State of New Jersey. Please refer to their website for updated information. 

PAS-1

https://www.nj.gov/treasury/taxation/relief.shtml

Please be advised that our office does not complete PAS-1 forms. They can be completed online at the link noted above. For those who prefer to complete the paper application, filing help is available from the State of New Jersey via filing events where representatives will help you complete your application. 

Filing Events:

 https://www.nj.gov/treasury/taxation/propertytaxreliefevents.shtml