Tax Assessor

Property Tax Assessment Information

City of Bridgeton Compliance Plan for 2021 Tax Year

Pursuant to NJ.S.A. 54:4 23, the City of Bridgeton has performed a compliance plan as approved by the Cumberland County Board of Taxation for Tax Year 2020. As such, a portion of the taxing district has been reassessed to bring it into compliance with those areas of the taxing district that are in compliance and were not reassessed. The compliance plan is done to ensure the fair and equitable assessment of all properties throughout the City.

Compliance plans are performed within 5 years of revaluation and adjust those neighborhoods whose market values have changed substantially since the revaluation. Changes are based on market value sales and assessments are adjusted to the 2020 assessment-to-ratio. This ensures that all properties are being fairly and uniformly assessed. Three neighborhoods were determined to be out of compliance with state standards and were adjusted (both up and down) for the 2020 tax year.

Residents are advised to check the assessment notice which was mailed out during the last week of January for their 2020 assessment.

A copy of the approved compliance plan is available for review in the tax assessor's office.

The 2021 average residential assessment is $71,650. The average residential property tax is $3,571.02.

The Rate Breakdown

2020 Tax Rate per $100 of Assessed Value

Tax Rate & Ratio Information

The Assessor is responsible for discovering, listing, and valuing all properties within the municipality. Sales, income, and cost data are analyzed in order to determine the assessed value of each parcel included on the Tax List presented to the Cumberland County Board of Taxation each January.

Appeals

Taxpayers who disagree with their property's assessment have the right to appeal to their county tax board (or directly with the State Tax Court if the property is assessed for more than $1,000,000) on or before April 1 or 45 days from the date the Assessment Notifications are mailed by the taxing district, whichever is later; or May 1st where a municipal-wide revaluation or municipal-wide reassessment has been implemented (December 1 for added and omitted assessments.) The required appeal forms may be obtained from the County Board of Taxation.

All appeals must be filed with the Cumberland County Board of Taxation by April 1 of each year, except those properties with an assessed value in excess of $1,000,000, which may be filed directly to the State Tax Court. Petitions of appeal with instructions may be obtained on the Cumberland County Board of Taxation's website.

There are several tax deductions available to qualifying residents which may be found on the State of New Jersey Website.

These include:

• Disabled veterans' exemption
• Veteran's deduction
• Un-remarried widow of veteran deduction
• Un-remarried widow of disabled veteran exemption
• Senior citizen deduction
• Surviving Spouse (55 years or older) of existing senior citizen deduction
• Disabled person deduction

Please see the qualifying information on this page or contact the Assessor's office.

Senior Citizens

Senior citizens and disabled persons wishing to apply for a $250 deduction in taxes may contact the Assessor's Office for an application. Limitations for income and residency apply.

In order to qualify for the $250 senior citizens deduction, you must:

• Have a combined income of $10,000 or less, excluding Social Security
• Be 65 years or over
• Own property in the City of Bridgeton as of October 1 of the pre-tax year
• Be a full-time (legal) resident of the City of Bridgeton

Veterans

Veterans, who were honorably discharged and actively served during the following time periods, may apply for a $250 deduction. Those who have been deemed 100% disabled by Veterans Affairs may qualify for property tax exemption. Please note: A recent new law has revised the requirements for the Disabled Veterans' Exemption; There is no longer a length of time in combat or geographical requirement. (Only the Exemption; this does not apply to the Veterans' Deduction)

• Operation Northern/Southern Watch - August 27, 1992, to March 17, 2003
• Operation Iraqi Freedom - March 19, 2003, to Ongoing
• Operation Enduring Freedom - September 11, 2001 to Ongoing
• "Joint Endeavor/Joint Guard" - Bosnia and Herzegovina - November 20, 1995 to June 20, 1998
• "Restore Hope" Mission - Somalia - December 5, 1992, to March 31, 1994
• Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm Mission - August 2, 1990, to February 28, 1991
• Panama Peacekeeping Mission - December 20, 1989, to January 31, 1990
• Grenada Peacekeeping Mission - October 23, 1983, to November 21, 1983
• I. Lebanon Peacekeeping Mission - September 26, 1982, to December 1, 1987
• Vietnam Conflict - December 31, 1960, to May 7, 1975
• Lebanon Crisis of 1958 - July 1, 1958, to November 1, 1958
• Korean Conflict - June 23, 1950, to January 31, 1955
• World War II - September 16, 1940, to December 31, 1946
• World War I - April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918

Note - Peacekeeping Missions require a minimum of 14 days of service in the actual combat zone except where service-incurred injury or disability occurs in the combat zone, and then actual time served, though less than 14 days, is sufficient for purposes of property tax exemption or deduction. The 14-day requirement for Bosnia and Herzegovina may be met by service in one or both operations for 14 days continuously or in aggregate. For Bosnia and Herzegovina combat zone also includes the airspace above those nations.

In order to qualify for the $250 Veteran deduction, you must:

• Own property in the City of Bridgeton as of October 1 of the pre-tax year
• Be honorably discharged from active service and have dd-214 papers along with proper identification
• Have served in one of the conflicts listed above

Added Assessments

New construction, structural additions, and improvements completed after October 1 are valued and taxed under the Added Assessment Law. This way property that becomes assessable after October 1 does not avoid its fair share of the tax burden for the rest of the year. A new structure, or an addition to or alteration of an old structure, completed after January 1 and before October 1, is valued as of the first day of the month following completion. If the value when completed is greater than the assessed value placed on the structure on October 1 of the pretax year (partial assessment based on the value present at that time), an added assessment based on the difference must be made. The added assessment is prorated on the number of full months remaining in the tax year. Tax-exempt properties which lose their exempt status are also subject to the Added Assessment Law. Added Assessments are payable on November 1 and become delinquent if not timely paid.

Omitted Assessments

Additional assessments which, through error, were not made at the proper time may be placed on the tax rolls through the Omitted Assessment Laws. An omitted assessment can be made for the current year of discovery and one prior year. The Omitted Assessment Laws provide that in any year or in the next succeeding year, the county board of taxation or the municipal tax assessor respectively may, in accordance with the provisions of this act, assess any taxable property omitted from the tax rolls for the particular year. Omitted assessments are payable on November 1 and become delinquent if not timely paid.

If you did not receive an Added Assessment Tax bill for work completed in the previous year, you will receive an "Omitted Added" Assessment bill in addition to an "Added Assessment" bill the year following the improvement.

Please note, not scheduling a final inspection for your building permit does not delay the added assessment tax bill.