Budget & Taxes

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1181: Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers to General Fund on gross income tax return.

This bill would allow New Jersey taxpayers to voluntarily contribute to the state's General Fund when filing their gross income tax return. Taxpayers could choose to direct part of their tax refund or add a separate contribution, with administrative costs deducted before net funds are deposited into the General Fund. The General Fund is the primary account for most state revenues, funding essential government operations and appropriations. The bill requires the Division of Taxation to implement this option on tax forms for taxable years beginning after its enactment.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllows voluntary taxpayer contributions to General Fund, increasing state revenue for essential operations without mandatory tax increases.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax State Budget

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1470: Removes limit in annual budget requests of certain county offices.

This bill removes a 2% annual limit on property tax increases for certain county offices. It specifically affects county clerks, surrogates, prosecutors, and sheriffs (referred to as "county constitutional officers" in the bill), allowing their budget requests for property tax portions to exceed the previous year's amount without the 2% cap. Currently, these offices must keep property tax increases for their budgets below 2% annually, but this bill eliminates that restriction. The change applies immediately to the next county budget cycle following enactment.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRemoves 2% cap on property tax increases for county offices, enabling higher budget requests for essential services like sheriffs and prosecutors, supporting fiscal management of county budgets.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2992: Excludes paraffin used in manufacture of candles from petroleum products gross receipts tax.

This bill exempts paraffin wax used specifically in candle manufacturing from New Jersey's petroleum products gross receipts tax. It directly affects New Jersey candle manufacturers, who previously paid tax on the paraffin input even when selling candles outside the state. The key mechanism is adding "paraffin used in the manufacture of candles" to the list of excluded items in the tax definition under Section 2 of P.L.1990, c.42. This change removes a tax burden that applied only to in-state candle production, as candles made elsewhere aren't subject to the tax when sold in New Jersey.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts candle manufacturers from tax burden, providing direct tax relief per bill's explicit intent to remove a specific tax on inputs.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Feb 19, 2026

A 4128: Establishes certain exclusions and credits under gross income and corporation business taxes for contributions to lifelong learning accounts.

This bill creates tax exclusions for New Jersey taxpayers using "lifelong learning accounts" to cover education expenses. Eligible taxpayers (aged 18-70) can exclude up to $2,500 in employer contributions and account earnings from their gross income each year. Distributions used for qualified education expenses (e.g., tuition, books) are also excluded from taxable income, but nonqualified withdrawals incur a 5% penalty tax. The accounts must be administered by banks or approved entities, cannot invest in life insurance, and require strict reporting to avoid penalties. This directly affects New Jersey residents saving for education through these designated accounts.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax exclusions for education expenses, reducing taxable income for eligible taxpayers (18-70), aligning with tax relief for middle-income households.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tax exclusions for education expenses, reducing costs and enhancing access to education through financial incentives for taxpayers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 520: Creates offense of making false child abuse report; permits assessment of penalty.

This bill makes knowingly making a false report of child abuse or neglect a crime. It targets individuals who submit false reports under New Jersey's child abuse reporting law, imposing a third-degree criminal penalty (up to 5 years in prison or a $15,000 fine) and adding a separate civil penalty of up to $10,000. The civil penalty funds the Department of Children and Families. The law applies immediately upon enactment and directly affects people who file false reports, not the victims or reporting systems.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCivil penalty funds the Department of Children and Families, directly allocating revenue to support public services per bill summary.90% confidence ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill criminalizes false child abuse reports, expanding criminalization under criminal justice laws with penalties.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 896: Provides gross income tax deduction for certain moving expenses for taxpayer moving to New Jersey to commence work in State.

This bill (A 896) allows New Jersey taxpayers who move to the state to begin work to deduct certain moving expenses from their gross income. It covers reasonable costs for moving household goods, travel (including lodging), and storage for the taxpayer and their household members (defined as those sharing the former and new residence, excluding employees/tenants). To qualify, taxpayers must work full-time in New Jersey for at least 39 weeks within the first year of moving (or 78 weeks over two years for self-employed individuals), with exceptions for death, disability, or involuntary job loss. The deduction applies to taxable years beginning after the bill’s enactment.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax deduction for moving expenses, reducing taxable income for qualifying residents, aligning with tax relief indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 693: Provides State income tax credit for removal of lawns near Barnegat Bay.

This bill provides a $250 annual state income tax credit to homeowners within 1,000 feet of Barnegat Bay who replace grass lawns with stone, crushed shells, or similar non-maintenance landscaping. It directly affects property owners in that zone, including those who already made the switch before the bill's effective date. The credit aims to reduce chemical runoff (like fertilizers and pesticides) from lawns into the bay by incentivizing low-maintenance alternatives. The policy change is a direct tax incentive, not a regulatory mandate, for eligible homeowners to adopt environmentally friendly landscaping.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides $250 annual income tax credit to homeowners, directly offering tax relief for middle-income property owners to incentivize environmentally friendly landscaping.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentReduces chemical runoff from lawns into Barnegat Bay by incentivizing non-chemical landscaping alternatives, directly protecting water quality and ecosystem health.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Tax Credits Tax Incentives

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 127: Provides gross income tax deduction for in vitro fertilization treatment expenses.

This New Jersey bill allows eligible residents to deduct 50% of out-of-pocket expenses for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment from their gross income when filing state taxes. It directly affects individuals or couples paying for IVF who are not covered by specific health insurance plans (including state programs like the State Health Benefits Program) and whose expenses aren't already deductible as medical costs. The deduction applies to costs for the taxpayer, spouse, or domestic partner, but excludes amounts reimbursed by insurance or already claimed under existing medical expense deductions. The law takes effect immediately for tax years beginning after its enactment.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates tax deduction for IVF expenses, providing targeted tax relief. Directly aligns with tax relief indicator under Budget & Taxes policy.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllows tax deduction for IVF expenses, reducing out-of-pocket costs for reproductive healthcare access and expanding affordability of a medical service.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Insurance

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

AR 44: Urges federal government to repeal state and local tax deduction caps.

This Assembly Resolution (AR 44) urges the federal government to repeal the $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions for single filers, heads of household, and married couples filing jointly. It directly affects New Jersey residents who itemize federal tax returns and pay high local taxes, as 41% of New Jersey filers historically claimed this deduction. The resolution calls for ending the SALT deduction cap established by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which limits deductions for state/local property and income/sales taxes. The bill does not create new law but formally requests federal action to restore the pre-2018 deduction rules.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesUrges repeal of SALT cap, providing tax relief for NJ residents who itemize deductions, aligning with tax relief indicators for middle-income taxpayers.95% confidence

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

ACR 17: Proposes amendment to Constitution to require each house of the Legislature to meet four times annually solely to vote on bills that provide property tax relief.

ACR 17 is a proposed constitutional amendment requiring New Jersey’s legislature to hold four quarterly meetings each year solely to vote on bills certified as providing property tax relief. To qualify, bills must lower property taxes (not increase revenue) and address specific areas like education funding, pension reforms, or local government savings. If a bill passes in one legislative chamber, the other chamber must vote on it within 60 days. The amendment does not force the legislature to pass all such bills or prevent consideration of property tax legislation outside these designated meetings.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates legislative sessions solely for property tax relief bills that lower taxes, directly aligns with tax relief indicators for middle/lower income homeowners.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Pensions Property Tax

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