Sussex County homeowners pay a median of $8,568 a year in property tax on a median home value of $369,400. Its effective tax rate (property taxes paid as a share of home values, per the Tax Foundation) is 2.20%, the 5th highest of 21 New Jersey counties. In New Jersey your town's tax assessor sets your assessment, and appeals go to the Sussex County Board of Taxation. The board can lower, keep or raise the assessment after a short hearing.
Closed for 2026Closed for 2026. The next deadline is April 1, 2027 (January 15, 2027 in Burlington, Gloucester and Monmouth counties).
The petition must be received (not just postmarked) by April 1 of the tax year, or 45 days after the town finishes the bulk mailing of assessment postcards, whichever is later. In a town with a new revaluation or reassessment the deadline is May 1. Burlington, Gloucester and Monmouth counties use an alternative calendar with a January 15 deadline. If the last day falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day. Example: Cumberland County - April 1 (or 45 days after postcards), May 1 for revalued towns.
Phone: 973-579-0970
Address: 83 Spring Street, Suite 301, Newton, NJ 07860
Tax Administrator: Melissa A. Rockwell
Official website: sussex.nj.us
Hears property tax appeals for every town in the county. Your assessment itself is set by your town's tax assessor.
Every owner gets an Assessment Notification Postcard in February showing the current year's assessment and explaining how and when to appeal. Towns that just finished a revaluation send new values in the revaluation year.
Look up your home on the Sussex County Board of Taxation website and check square footage, bathrooms, condition and features. Mistakes are the easiest wins. Use our record card checklist.
File Form A-1 (Petition of Appeal) with the Sussex County Board of Taxation so it is received by the deadline, and send copies to your town's assessor and municipal clerk. Many counties accept appeals online.
3 to 5 comparable sales of similar homes (style, size, age, neighborhood) that sold close to the October 1 valuation date, with block, lot, sale price and deed date (Form A-1 Comp. Sale); Photos of your home and of the comparables, especially of condition problems; A written appraisal by a licensed appraiser - the appraiser must attend the hearing to testify, and copies must go to the board and assessor at least 7 days before; Your property record card from the assessor (the town must give you a copy on request) to catch errors in size, rooms or condition.
Your assessment is presumed correct. You must prove, with solid evidence, the true market value of your home as of October 1 of the prior year. The board then applies the Chapter 123 test: if your assessment divided by that value is more than 15% above the town's average ratio, it is lowered to the common level.
Next step: Tax Court of New Jersey. 45 days from the date the county board's judgment was mailed. Homes assessed over $1,000,000 can skip the county board and file directly with the Tax Court by April 1 (May 1 in revaluation towns). File a Local Property Tax Complaint, usually through the courts' eCourts system. A home (Class 2, 1-4 family) qualifies for the Small Claims track: $50 filing fee for one parcel ($10 each extra). Regular track is $250. You may represent yourself; court staff can help with forms but not give legal advice.
The official appeal form is A-1: Petition of Appeal (County Board of Taxation).
Open Form A-1Enter the market value on your assessment notice and what you think the home would really sell for. We estimate the yearly saving if the board agrees with you.
Some states cap how fast the taxable value of a home can rise (California, Florida, Michigan and Texas homesteads, for example). If your taxable value is already held below market value by a cap, a lower market value may not lower this year's bill.
Fill in your details and download a written appeal statement as a PDF or Word file. Most boards also require their own appeal form: file the form and attach this letter and your evidence to it.
Tax Appeal Map is a free information site, not a law firm or appraiser. The letter is a template, not legal advice.
The petition must be received (not just postmarked) by April 1 of the tax year, or 45 days after the town finishes the bulk mailing of assessment postcards, whichever is later. In a town with a new revaluation or reassessment the deadline is May 1. Burlington, Gloucester and Monmouth counties use an alternative calendar with a January 15 deadline. If the last day falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day. Example: Cumberland County - April 1 (or 45 days after postcards), May 1 for revalued towns.
With the Sussex County Board of Taxation, using Form A-1, with copies to your town assessor and municipal clerk.
Phone 973-579-0970. Website: sussex.nj.us.
Non-refundable fee based on assessed value: under $150,000 = $5; $150,000 to under $500,000 = $25; $500,000 to under $1,000,000 = $100; $1,000,000 or more = $150. Classification appeal $25. No fee for appeals of denied veteran, senior or disabled deductions/exemptions.
Contact details change; call or check the office website before you visit.