Some municipalities extending tax office hours for residents who want to pre-pay 2018 property taxes

Montgomery Township and Franklin Township are just two Central Jersey municipalities where officials have decided to open their tax offices on Saturday for residents who want to prepay their 2018 taxes to deduct them this year.

In Montgomery, the tax office at the municipal building will be open on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. You can also pay your first quarter of 2018 taxes online in Montgomery.

In Franklin Township, the tax office will be open from 8:30 a..m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Residents there can pre-pay their first two quarters for 2018, which have already been billed. Franklin Township will no accept payments in excess of those two quarters, and officials said the tax collector may refund any payments for taxes not yet billed. Because of long lines to pay property taxes, officials in Franklin have urged residents to use the payment drop box in front of the police station, or the township’s online payment portal, where residents can pay the first two quarters of 2018.

The Princeton tax office stopped collecting payments at the office yesterday. The municipality gave employees off today and Monday for the holiday. Property owners can prepay their first quarter property taxes online on the municipality’s website until Dec. 31. If you want to prepay more than the first quarter, you must mail a check, made payable to Princeton, to the Princeton Municipal Building, Tax Collectors Office, 400 Witherspoon St. Princeton, NJ 08540.

Officials in several municipalities have urged residents to consult with their accounts about pre-paying for next year. Residents whose taxes are paid by a mortgage company or escrow agent  have also been advised to contact the mortgage company or escrow agents to confirm that you will be making advanced payments.

The Internal Revenue Service advised tax professionals and taxpayers on Dec. 27 that pre-paying 2018 state and local real property taxes in 2017 may be tax deductible under certain circumstances. A taxpayer is allowed a deduction for the pre-payment of state or local property taxes in 2017 if the taxpayer makes the payment in 2017 and the property taxes are assessed prior to 2018.  A prepayment of anticipated property taxes that have not been assessed and billed prior to 2018 is not deductible in 2017, according to the IRS.

Residents in any municipality in the state can also mail in 2018 property tax payments by the end of the year, thanks to an executive order signed by Gov. Chris Christie. Mail must be postmarked on or before Dec. 31. 

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