54:4-66.3. Estimated, reconciled tax bills for municipality operating on calendar fiscal year

4. Whenever, pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1994, c.72 (C.54:4-66.2), a governing body of a municipality operating on the calendar fiscal year determines that the tax collector will be unable to complete the mailing or delivery of tax bills by June 14, the estimated and reconciled tax bills shall be mailed by June 30 and September 30 respectively, and shall be calculated in accordance with the following procedures:

a. (1) The tax collector in consultation with the chief financial officer shall compute an estimated annual tax levy range for the county and each taxing district whose levy has not yet been certified by the county board of taxation. The range shall be within the lower and upper amounts calculated by multiplying the levy of the county and each such taxing district for the previous calendar fiscal year by .95 and 1.05.

(2) The municipal governing body may authorize, by resolution, an estimated annual tax levy for the county and each such taxing district by setting an amount within the range computed by the tax collector in consultation with the chief financial officer.

b. An estimated bill for the third installment of taxes may be calculated as follows:

(1) The tax rate for the county and each taxing district shall be calculated by dividing the certified, if available, or estimated tax levy by the current year net valuation taxable. Each such tax rate shall be multiplied by the taxable value for each property to arrive at the estimated annual property tax due for each property assessed.

(2) The amount charged in the first and second installments of the current year shall be subtracted from the estimated annual property tax due for each property assessed. That amount shall then be divided in half and after being so divided shall be the amount of the estimated tax bill for the third installment of taxes.

c. A reconciled bill for the fourth installment of taxes shall be calculated as follows:

(1) The tax rate for the county and each taxing district shall be calculated by dividing the actual tax levies certified by the county board of taxation by the current year net valuation taxable. Each such tax rate shall be multiplied by the taxable value for each property to arrive at the actual annual property tax due for each property assessed.

(2) The amount charged in the first, second and third installments of the current year for each taxing district shall be subtracted from the actual annual property tax due for each property assessed. The difference of those amounts shall constitute the amount of the reconciled tax bill for the fourth installment of property tax.

d. The third installment of current year taxes shall not be subject to interest until the later of August 1, the additional interest-free period authorized pursuant to R.S.54:4-67, or the twenty-fifth calendar day after the date that the tax bill or estimated tax bill for the third installment was mailed or otherwise delivered. Any payment received after the later of August 1, the additional interest-free period authorized pursuant to R.S.54:4-67, or the twenty-fifth calendar day after the date that the tax bill or estimated tax bill for the third installment was mailed or otherwise delivered may be charged interest back to August 1. The estimated tax bill shall contain a notice specifying the date on which interest may begin to accrue.

e. The fourth installment of current year taxes shall not be subject to interest until the later of November 1, the additional interest-free period authorized pursuant to R.S.54:4-67, or the twenty-fifth calendar day after the date that the tax bill or reconciled tax bill for the fourth installment was mailed or otherwise delivered. Any payment received after the later of November 1, the additional interest-free period authorized pursuant to R.S.54:4-67, or the twenty-fifth calendar day after the date that the tax bill or estimated tax bill for the third installment was mailed or otherwise delivered may be charged interest back to November 1. The reconciled tax bill shall contain a notice specifying the date on which interest may begin to accrue.

f. If the tax collector in consultation with the chief financial officer determines that the municipality is unable to calculate the tax bills utilizing the formulas set forth in this section, the collector in consultation with the chief financial officer may request the Director of the Division of Local Government Services to authorize an alternate method that will result in the most accurate bills possible utilizing the mechanisms available to the municipality. The director shall certify in writing the method approved for billings.

L.1994,c.72,s.4.