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Rebates, Reform and Reality: The State of New Jersey’s Property Taxes

March 24, 2026

New Jersey is famous for many things, but its nation-leading property tax rates usually top the list of resident grievances. In this episode, we sit down with Marc Pfeiffer, senior policy fellow at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, to demystify the complex machinery behind property taxes. Marc breaks down the fundamental mechanics of why the rates are so high, how property taxes are calculated and where the money goes — ultimately addressing the age-old question: Are we actually getting what we pay for?

Topics discussed:

How New Jersey property taxes are determined and distributed
Why New Jersey leads the nation in tax rates compared to neighbors
Is the higher cost justified by the services being provided?
Why it has proven so politically difficult to reduce property taxes in New Jersey
Changes to property tax relief programs proposed in Governor Sherrill’s budget
Realistic reforms that could actually move the needle
Why taxpayers receive relief payments instead of lower bills

Resources:

Jeffrey Kaszerman

Jeff is the vice president of government relations for the NJCPA. He works with the CEO and the Board of Trustees to create and implement advocacy initiatives that protect and promote the interests of the CPA profession, the business community and the public.

More content by Jeffrey Kaszerman:

Learn more from Jeffrey Kaszerman:

3/30/26 - IssuesWatch Live: New Jersey Budget Analysis
4/17/26 - IssuesWatch Podcast Plus: National and New Jersey Regulatory Update
5/15/26 - IssuesWatch Podcast Plus: National and New Jersey Regulatory Update
6/16-19/26 - NJCPA Convention & Expo
1/14/27 - Corporate Accounting & Finance Interest Group Meeting & Technical Session: Professional Issues Update

Marc H. Pfeiffer

Marc H. Pfeiffer, MPA, is a senior policy fellow and faculty researcher at the Bloustein Local Government Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers Unversity. Marc has broad experience in many areas of local government policy and administration, including specific expertise in areas such as finance and property taxation, public procurement, shared services and consolidation, technology, energy, labor relations, and general government administration.