Tax Collection
Tax bills are mailed once a year, usually in July. The bill covers the 3rd and 4th quarters of the current year and the 1st and 2nd quarters of the subsequent year.
Added assessment bills for improvements are mailed in October and are due on November 1, February 1 and May 1 in addition to your regular billed taxes. For questions about added assessments please call the Tax Assessor.
Property taxes are calculated based on the assessed value of the property which is then multiplied by the tax rate. The assessed value is determined by the Tax Assessor. If you have questions about your assessment, please refer to the Tax Assessor.
The 2025 tax rate is 12.350 per $100 of assessed value.
Tax Payment Due Dates:
1st Quarter – February 1
2nd Quarter – May 1
3rd Quarter – August 1
4th Quarter – November 1
There is a 10-day grace period. If the 10th falls on a weekend or holiday, the grace period is extended to the next business day. Payments received after the grace period are charged interest from the due date.
If you have a mortgage escrow account, the original bill will be sent to them and an “advice copy” will be mailed to you. If you pay off your mortgage, please use the advice copy to pay your taxes and contact our office to remove the bank code from your property.
Failure to receive a bill does not exempt you from paying taxes, sewer charges or any interest that may be due (N.J.S.A. 54:4-64).
You may view your account and reprint a copy of your tax bill at any time on our website.
To update your mailing address, please fill out the Address Change Form located on the Forms page and submit it to the Tax Assessor.
Payments are applied to interest and fees first, then principal. Interest is calculated at 8% per annum on the first $1,500 of any delinquency and 18% per annum for any delinquency over $1,500. A Year End Penalty of 6% is assessed on any delinquencies in excess of $10,000 that exist as of December 31 each year.
There is a $20.00 service charge for all returned checks. Please note that separate checks are required if making a tax and sewer payment.
Property Tax Relief Programs
If you are over 65, the state has now combined the three property tax relief programs in to one application form (PAS-1 – a blue book). You only have to file one application to be considered for the Senior Freeze, ANCHOR and the new Stay NJ program. For further information, visit https://propertytaxrelief.nj.gov.
How to Pay
Online
Payments can be made via our online payment portal.
AutoPay is now available. If you choose to sign up, taxes and/or sewer charges will be debited automatically on the due date. Once enrolled, homeowners will receive an email detailing the date and amount due prior to being taken from the account. Please note that you must enroll separately for taxes and sewer charges.
In person
Payments can be made in person at 430 Park Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
Check or Cash only – Credit Card payments must be made on the website.
Opening hours: Monday – Friday 8:30am to 4pm
24-Hour Drop Box
There is a drop-box in the Police department at 430 Park Avenue which can be accessed 24/7.
Do not put cash in the drop box under any circumstances. Payments left in the drop box are posted the next business day.
By mail
Make your check payable to Township of Scotch Plains and mail to:
Township of Scotch Plains Tax Collector
430 Park Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
Please include the stub if you have it. If you do not have a stub, please write your Block and Lot on your check.
Postmarks are not accepted. Allow ample time when mailing payments - we must have physical possession of your payment by the end of the grace period in order to avoid interest charges.
Do not post-date your check. We are required to deposit all funds within 48 hours. Any post-dated checks will be returned to you and could result in interest charges.
Payments may be made by using your bank’s bill pay service. When using bill pay make sure to include your Block, Lot and Qualifier (if any) in the memo field. Payments missing property identification may be returned. Please note that bill pay payments are not electronic – your bank converts them into a paper check that is mailed through the postal system. When scheduling your payment, allow enough time for it to arrive by the due date.
Sewer Billing
We send one sewer bill a year. Payments are due on September 1st with a 10-day grace period. Delinquent sewer charges are subject to interest at a rate of 18% per annum.
Sewer bills are considered a utility bill and mortgage companies do not pay these charges even if they pay your property taxes. Unpaid sewer charges are subject to tax sale which will result in a lien being placed on your property.
We calculate sewer bills by taking water usage data for October, November and December of the previous year and multiplying it by 4 to give an annual usage amount. We calculate bills this way to exclude summer water usage such as irrigation and filling pools.
For residential bills, there are multiple usage tiers.
The rates for 2025 are as follows:
0-25,000 gallons - $220
25,001-75,000 gallons - $320
75,001-200,000 gallons - $355
201,000 gallons and above - $800
For commercial and mixed-use properties there is a base fee of $300 which covers the first 25,000 gallons. Each additional gallon is charged at $0.0085.
Tax Sale
The Tax Collector is required by state law to hold a tax sale each year for delinquent tax and sewer charges. If you do not pay the full amount of taxes or sewer charges from the previous year by the date of the sale, the past due balance will be auctioned off to a third party and a lien will be placed on your property. Once your property in tax sale, you cannot pay online. Payments must be made by certified check, money order or cash.
Once a lien has been placed on your property, there is a process that must be followed in order to redeem it. Please contact our office at (908) 322-6700 Ext 207 or 208 for further information.
430 Park Avenue
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 322-6700, ext. 207 & 208
Fax: (908) 322-5021
Office Hours:
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.