New Jersey has extended a deadline for eligible homeowners to apply for a credit on their property tax bill. The new deadline to file 2009 homestead benefit applications is Jan. 3, 2011. About 1.5 million applications were mailed to eligible homeowners starting in early September. About 865,000 were returned before the original Nov. 1 deadline.

Homeowners qualify for a partial credit against their second quarter 2011 property tax bill if their 2009 New Jersey gross income was $75,000 or less or if they’re senior citizens or disabled with incomes of $150,000 or less.

The homestead credit program replaced a program in which qualifying homeowners were issued a property tax rebate check.

(Source: NJ.com)