Explanation of Property Taxes

 

The overall property tax is actually made up of different taxes established by five separate taxing districts. The municipal purposes tax, for example, is used to finance municipal services such as law enforcement, emergency medical services, trash and recycling collection, snow removal, stormwater drainage infrastructure maintenance and improvements, road maintenance and improvements, recreation, and general municipal administration.

The county tax is established by the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders and is used to finance county administration and county projects. This tax includes the county purposes tax, library tax, health tax and county open space tax. Questions about the county tax should be directed to the Ocean County Administrator, P.O. Box 2191, Toms River, New Jersey, 08754. The telephone number is 732-929-2147.

Local and regional school taxes, which make up the largest part of your tax bill, are used to finance the Little Egg Harbor Township School District and the Little Egg Harbor share of the Pinelands Regional School District. School budgets are adopted by elected Boards of Education. The Township Committee does not establish the school tax. Questions about the school tax should be directed to the appropriate school board.

The fire district tax on your tax bill funds one of three fire districts in Little Egg Harbor Township and is established by a Board of Fire Commissioners whose members are elected by voters each February. Your property is situated in either Fire District 1, Fire District 2 or Fire District 3. Questions about the fire district tax should be directed to the appropriate Board of Fire Commissioners.

Although the Tax Collector is responsible for collecting all of these taxes, the Township Committee only authorizes the municipal purposes tax. The other four taxing agencies, all of which are comprised of independent governing bodies elected by the voters, establish their own tax rates.

 

Calculating Your Property Tax

Your tax rate and the assessed value of your property are used to determine the amount of tax you pay each year. For example, to calculate the amount of tax due on a property with an assessed value of $100,000, follow these steps:
 

1. Divide the assessed value by 100. In this example, the result is $1,000.
 

2. Multiply the result by your tax rate. In this example, if you lived in District 1 in 2001, you would have multiplied $1,000 by $3.037. Your taxes in 2001 were $3,037.00.

Property Tax Due Dates

The property tax is payable in four quarterly installments: February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1.
 

There is a ten day grace period. Tax payments must be received by the Tax Collector's Office no later than February 10, May 10, August 10 and November 10 in order to avoid interest charges.

Understanding Your Property Tax Bill

Tax bills are mailed once each year (usually in July). The tax bill contains four payment coupons that indicate the payment number (1, 2, 3 or 4), the quarterly tax due, and the due date.
 

Remittance requiring a receipt must be accompanied by the entire tax bill with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. If you do not require a receipt simply detach the appropriate payment coupon from the tax bill and mail it or deliver it to the Tax Collector's Office together with your check or money order. Please do not mail cash.
 

The final annual tax rate is not known until all five taxing agencies have adopted their budgets. This usually occurs between April and May each year.