54:49-18. a. If any taxpayer shall be aggrieved by any finding or assessment of the director, he may, within 90 days after the giving of the notice of assessment or finding, file a protest in writing signed by himself or his duly authorized agent, certified to be true, which shall set forth the reason therefor, and may request a hearing. Thereafter the director shall grant a hearing to the taxpayer, if the same shall be requested, and shall make a final determination confirming, modifying or vacating any such finding or assessment. The filing of a protest shall stay the right of the director to collect the tax in any manner if the taxpayer shall furnish security of the kind and in the amount determined pursuant to subsection b. of this section until 90 days after final determination by the director. The time for appeal to the Tax Court pursuant to subsection a. of R.S.54:51A-14, enacted pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1983, c.45, shall commence from the date of the final determination by the director.

b. Except in the case of an arbitrary assessment pursuant to R.S.54:49-5 or R.S.54:49-7, no security shall be required for an amount in controversy of less than $10,000. Contested assessments of $10,000 or more shall not require security unless the director determines that there is a substantial risk of the taxpayer’s failure or inability to pay a liability, based on the compliance history and financial condition of the taxpayer.

Amended 1992,c.175,s.14.