Property Administration
Form PTD rev. 10/2019 Page 3 of 4
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
1. APPLICATION FILING PERIOD - File this form with the municipal tax assessor from October 1 through
December 31 of the pretax year, i.e., the year prior to the calendar tax year or with the municipal tax collector
from January 1 through December 31 of the calendar tax year. For example, for a property tax deduction claimed
for calendar tax year 2019, the pretax year filing period would be October 1 - December 31, 2018 with the
assessor and the tax year filing period would be January 1 - December 31, 2019 with the collector.
2. ELIGIBILITY DATES - Eligibility for the property tax deduction is established in the year prior to the calendar tax year
for which the deduction is claimed as follows:
New Jersey Citizenship as of October 1 pretax year
Property Ownership as of October 1 pretax year
Residence in New Jersey and in Dwelling House as of October 1 pretax year and
Residence in New Jersey for 1 year immediately prior to October 1 pretax year
Senior Citizen Age 65 or more as of December 31 pretax year
Permanent and Total Disability as of December 31 pretax year
Surviving Spouse/Surviving Civil Union Partner Age 55 or more as of December 31 pretax year and at the time of
spouse's/civil union partner’s death
3. CITIZEN & RESIDENT DEFINED - United States Citizenship is not required. Resident for purposes of this deduction
means a claimant who was legally domiciled in New Jersey for one year immediately prior to October 1 of the pretax
year. Domicile is the place you regard as your permanent home - the place you intend to return to after a period of
absence. You may have only one legal domicile even though you may have more than one residence. Seasonal or
temporary residence in this State, of whatever duration, does not constitute domicile. Absence from the State for a 12
month period is prima facie evidence of abandonment of domicile.
4. RESIDENCE IN DWELLING HOUSE DEFINED - Residence in the dwelling house means the dwelling where a
claimant makes his principal or permanent home. Vacation, summer or second homes do not qualify. Only one
deduction may be received per principal residence regardless of the number of qualified claimants residing on the
premises.
5. TENANCY BY ENTIRETY DEFINED - Tenancy by Entirety means ownership of real property by both husband and
wife or civil union partners, as a single ownership, in joint title acquired after marriage/civil union partnership.
6. INCOME DEFINED & LIMITED -
a.) The income period is the same tax year as the tax year for which a deduction is claimed.
b.) A claimant must reasonably anticipate that income received during the tax year, including income of the
claimant's spouse/civil union partner, will not exceed $10,000. Income of claimant's family members, other
than spouse/civil union partner, should not be included as annual income.
c.) Income means all income received from whatever source derived including, but not limited to, salaries, wages,
bonuses, commissions, tips, and other compensations before payroll deductions, all dividends, interest,
realized capital gains, royalties, income from rents, business income, and in their entirety, pension, annuity
and retirement benefits. Realized capital gains, except for capital gain from the sale or exchange of real
property owned and used by the claimant as his principal residence, dividends, interest, pensions, annuities
and retirement benefits must be included in full without deductions even though they may be wholly or
partially exempt for Federal income tax purposes.
EXCLUDABLE INCOME**Income can be excluded under ONE of the following three categories: Social Security
Benefits or Federal Government Retirement/Disability Pension including Federal Railroad Retirement Benefits or
State, County, Municipal Government and their political subdivisions and agencies Retirement/Disability Pension.
NOTE: In accordance with the Civil Union Act, eligibility guidelines that apply to married couples and surviving
spouses apply equally to civil union couples and surviving civil union partners.