New Jersey Lawmakers Back More Pandemic Tax Relief Measures

New Jersey lawmakers passed more tax relief, while New York’s governor pushed through electronic signature rules with an emergency order. Here’s the latest on shifting state tax guidelines, deadlines, and policy to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. For Thursday’s coverage click here. Here’s a state-by-state roadmap.

The New Jersey Legislature has approved a pandemic relief measure (NJ A3969) that would extend a series of deadlines for municipalities, including letting the Director of the Division of Local Government Services extend a grace period for quarterly property tax payments from 10 days to 30 days.

Lawmakers, meeting Thursday, also approved a measure (NJ A4157) that would give homeowners as much as three months to appeal tax assessments. The bill “would temporarily change filing deadlines for most tax appeals to July 1 this year and would require county boards of taxation to make decisions on the appeals by Sept. 30,” according to a news release about the bill.

The extension only applies to tax year 2020.

The Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court ordered in March that all filing deadlines for 2020 tax year appeals be extended indefinitely. That order could mean that some appeals would not be taken care of until 2021, affecting refunds and municipal budgets.

“This bill would establish a date certain for filing appeals so that residents and local officials can better manage their finances during these difficult times,” said Sen. Joe Cryan (D) about the bill.

The measures were headed to Gov. Phil Murphy (D) for signature.

Another bill cleared Thursday by the Senate would create a state gross income tax deduction for charitable contributions made to certain state-based charitable organizations during the current tax year. The deduction limit is $20,000 for those filing jointly and $10,000 for single filers, those married and filing separately, and surviving spouses.

Cuomo Endorses E-Signatures for Tax Documents

New Yorkers can electronically sign off on tax documents for the remainder of the pandemic.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) tucked the measure into an executive order Thursday extending the state’s stay-at-home directive to June 13. Cuomo’s order permits digital signatures for tax liability documents.

The New York Department of Taxation and Finance will “accept digital signatures in lieu of handwritten signatures on documents related to the determination or collection of tax liability,” for “the duration of the disaster emergency,” Cuomo said in the order.

—With assistance from Sam McQuillan.