Budget & Taxes

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

A 145: Permits farm income averaging credit under the New Jersey gross income tax.

This bill creates a New Jersey tax credit for farmers to smooth their tax payments by averaging farming income over four years. It allows farmers to calculate their tax using a four-year average of farming income (current year plus the previous three years, adjusting for losses or years without farming), then compares that to the tax calculated without averaging. The credit equals the difference between these two tax amounts, but cannot exceed $5,000 annually. This helps New Jersey farmers manage financial volatility from seasonal factors like weather or market fluctuations, without changing tax rates or creating new obligations.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates tax credit for farmers to average income, reducing tax burden and providing relief under NJ gross income tax system.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Tax Credits

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

A 3652: Establishes New Jersey Child Tax Credit program to benefit certain low-income households.

This bill establishes New Jersey's Child Tax Credit program, providing refundable tax credits to low-income residents with children. It directly benefits households with taxable income up to 250% of the federal poverty level, offering $582 per younger child (under age 6) and $187 per older child (ages 6-24) for families at or below 100% poverty level, with credits phasing out gradually as income rises. Key provisions include allowing claims using either Social Security numbers or Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs), ensuring credits don't reduce eligibility for state benefits, and requiring annual reporting on credit usage. The bill is currently pending in the Assembly committee and has not yet become law.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides refundable tax credits ($582/$187 per child) to low-income households, directly offering tax relief to targeted groups under 250% federal poverty level.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits

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

A 1185: Revises gross income tax rates for joint filers and similar taxpayers and designated as Marriage Penalty Elimination Act.

This bill revises New Jersey's tax brackets for married couples filing jointly (and similar taxpayers like heads of household), raising the threshold for the lowest tax rate from $20,000 to $40,000 for 2020+ tax years. It directly affects married couples filing jointly by reducing their tax burden on income between $20,000-$40,000 annually, eliminating a previously higher tax rate that disproportionately impacted these filers. The key change updates Section 54A:2-1, subsection (a)(7), shifting the first tax bracket to apply to income under $40,000 (previously $20,000) and adjusting subsequent rates accordingly. This policy change specifically targets the "marriage penalty" where joint filers paid more tax than separate filers at certain income levels.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEliminates marriage penalty by lowering tax rate for joint filers earning $20k-$40k, providing tax relief to middle-income households.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax

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in committee · New Jersey · Senate Feb 19, 2026

S 3558: "Made in New Jersey Tax Credit Act"; provides CBT tax credits to taxpayers that purchase "New Jersey made" products.

S 3558, the "Made in New Jersey Tax Credit Act," provides businesses a tax credit equal to 25% of the cost of purchasing "New Jersey made" products used in their retail sales or manufacturing. It directly affects New Jersey corporations paying the corporation business tax (CBT) that buy qualifying products for their operations. To qualify, businesses must demonstrate that most of their product purchases could have been substituted with New Jersey-made alternatives, excluding costs for products that couldn’t be replaced. The credit can be carried forward for up to seven years if not fully used in the current tax year. A "New Jersey made" product is defined as one with all or virtually all significant parts, processing, and labor originating in New Jersey, containing negligible out-of-state content.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides 25% tax credit for businesses purchasing NJ-made products, reducing CBT liability and incentivizing local economic activity.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Procurement Tax Credits

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in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jun 22, 2026

S 3630: Imposes various taxes and fees on operators of private prisons to offset social costs of incarceration.

This bill imposes three new fees on private prison operators in New Jersey. Operators with government contracts must pay 8% of the contract value annually, while all operators must pay $15 per inmate per day detained at their facility. Non-S corporation operators must also pay a 3% surtax on their taxable income. Revenue from these fees will fund two programs: legal services for detained and deported individuals, and community initiatives including food security, housing, job training, and youth mentorship.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes new taxes on private prisons to fund legal services and community programs, aligning with funding essential public services.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeImposes fees on private prisons to fund legal services and community programs (food security, job training), advancing criminal justice reform through rehabilitation and reducing recidivism.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill allocates revenue to fund community initiatives including housing programs as part of its funding streams for housing, food security, and youth.90% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationFunds legal services for detained/deported individuals and community programs including housing/job training, directly supporting immigrant services as per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Detention

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

A 1267: Concerns applicability of sales tax to certain horse-boarding charges in New Jersey.

This bill clarifies that horse boarding charges (renting stalls in barns or stables for horses) are **not subject to New Jersey's 6.625% sales tax**. It amends the tax code to explicitly exclude "the lease or rental of a stall in a barn, stable, or similar facility for the boarding or stabling of horses" from the definition of taxable "space for storage." This directly affects **horse boarding businesses and their customers** by ensuring these services remain tax-exempt. The change removes ambiguity about whether such charges fall under the existing tax on storage services, aligning with prior exemptions for similar arrangements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts horse boarding from sales tax, providing tax relief for businesses and customers per bill's explicit tax code amendment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax

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

A 1292: Exempts local government entities from annual remediation fees under certain circumstances.

This bill exempts local government entities from annual environmental remediation fees when they acquire contaminated property through specific involuntary means (like bankruptcy, tax foreclosure, eminent domain, or redevelopment efforts). It directly affects municipalities and counties that inherit such properties, removing a financial obligation under two key environmental laws: the Site Remediation Reform Act and the Brownfield and Contaminated Site Remediation Act. The exemption applies only to fees for contamination that existed *before* the government entity gained ownership. This change aligns with existing liability exemptions but eliminates the annual fee burden for these properties.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts local governments from annual remediation fees, reducing their financial burden and promoting fiscal responsibility for municipal budgets under environmental laws.92% confidence ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentExempts local governments from environmental remediation fees under two key laws, weakening financial enforcement mechanisms for site cleanup.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Hazardous Materials

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

A 2891: Provides that salary and other costs associated with Commissioner of Education's appointment of State monitor and other staff under "School District Fiscal Accountability Act" will be paid by State.

This bill shifts the cost of state-appointed school district monitors from local school districts to the State of New Jersey. When a district faces fiscal issues like audit failures, deficits, or repeated financial problems, the Commissioner of Education can appoint a State monitor to oversee finances, staffing, and operations. The bill requires the State to cover all costs - including the monitor's salary and related staff expenses - instead of forcing financially strained districts to pay these costs themselves. This change directly affects school districts in fiscal distress, preventing them from using limited funds to cover oversight costs while addressing budget crises.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesShifts costs from local districts to state budget, ensuring fiscal oversight without burdening strained local finances. Funds essential accountability program per bill's intent.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationShifts fiscal oversight costs from struggling districts to state, preventing diversion of school funds for monitoring expenses.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Audits & Accountability

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

A 4426: Establishes EDA grant program to support increased business expenses incurred by certain businesses impacted by certain public highway projects; provides 50 percent sales and use tax exemption in impacted municipalities; appropriates $1 million.

This bill establishes a grant program administered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) to reimburse small retail businesses for increased operating costs caused by public highway projects. It specifically targets businesses with 50 or fewer employees located in areas where highway construction blocks traffic or access (called "impacted construction zones"). The grants cover the difference between a business's normal pre-project costs and its actual costs during the project period, based on equivalent business days. Additionally, the bill provides a 50% sales and use tax exemption for businesses in affected municipalities and appropriates $1 million to fund both programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides 50% sales tax exemption for small businesses and appropriates $1M, offering tax relief and targeted fiscal support to impacted businesses.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax Tax Incentives

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passed · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 11, 2026

A 794: Modifies procedures for determination and payment of fair market value in distressed municipalities; concerns real property that is abandoned, vacant, or subject to unpaid taxes.

This bill (A 794) allows distressed New Jersey municipalities (those with a revitalization index score of 50 or higher) to acquire vacant, abandoned, or tax-delinquent properties by either paying the owner the fair market value or using eminent domain. It replaces older, more cumbersome processes like tax foreclosure with simpler methods, while permitting municipalities to deduct unpaid taxes and liens from the payment amount. Properties are defined as "abandoned" if at least four specific conditions exist (e.g., overgrown vegetation, disconnected utilities, or boarded windows), but exclude properties under active renovation or seasonal use. The law directly affects distressed municipalities seeking to revitalize blighted properties and property owners of abandoned real estate.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill enables municipalities to deduct unpaid taxes from property acquisition costs, directly promoting tax collection and fiscal responsibility in distressed areas.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill enables distressed municipalities to acquire abandoned/vacant properties for revitalization, facilitating housing development in blighted areas. This aligns with housing development goals without restricting tenant protections or affordability.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Mortgages

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