The New Jersey Business & Industry Association supports legislation released today by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee that would limit property tax appeals to the owners of the properties themselves.
The bill, S-2212, would prevent property taxpayers from challenging the assessments of nonprofit organizations in their county.
“Organizations like charities, hospitals, and educational institutions operate on very thin margins, and an event like losing a tax appeal could be the difference between staying open or shutting their doors,” said Mary Beaumont, NJBIA vice president for Health and Legal Affairs. “This legislation would stop third-party appeals that can be costly and create economic uncertainty for organizations that our communities embrace and depend on.”
Beaumont noted that nothing in the bill would prevent local government from challenging the assessments or tax exempt status of any property within their jurisdiction. Nor would it prevent individuals from filing appeals concerning their own property.
“Local governments are there to represent the interests of all taxpayers and are the ones that should be designated to take up such cases,” Beaumont said.
