September 12, 08

NEWS / 2008 Permanent Fund Dividend is $2069 Energy Rebate $1200

September 5, 2008, Anchorage, Alaska – Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell today announced the amount of the 2008 Permanent Fund Dividend.

According to the Department of Revenue, 610,768 eligible Alaskans will receive a 2008 Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) in the amount of $2069. Resource rebates of $1,200 will be sent out with the PFD. Eligible Alaskans will receive to total of $3269.

“The Alaska Legislature and the Governor, along with her administration, worked together and passed legislation to distribute a special Resource Rebate this year, before the arrival of winter, to assist with rising energy costs,” Lt. Governor Sean Parnell said. “Governor Palin is sensitive to the fact that high energy prices have had a negative impact on Alaskans’ wallets.”

Half a million (493,000-plus) qualified Alaskans will receive the 2008 dividend directly deposited into their bank accounts on September 12, historically early. The Department of Revenue’s PFD Division will be mailing checks to all remaining eligible Alaskans on September 30, with those checks expected to arrive within two weeks.

Seven out of 10 Alaskans (456,795 out of 641,000) used the internet to file for this year’s dividend. Many Alaskans have said that the dividend itself has allowed them to acquire a computer in their home and to become connected to the rest of the world, whether they live in a city, town or remote village.

$17.2 billion has been distributed to eligible Alaskans since the dividend program began in 1982. The first dividend was $1000, covering three years. Individual Alaskans eligible for all 27 dividends have received more than $30,000.

Dividend Information Offices are located in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau and are responsible for assisting applicants who need help completing their applications or need information about the dividend program.

Please remember that the Alaska PFD and the new Alaska Resource Rebate are taxable income for Federal Tax Returns. Be sure to set aside enough to cover your tax bill, or consider making an Estimated Payment when you get your PFD. For more information on how to report the Alaska PFD and Rebate income on the Federal Tax Return contact the IRS at 1(800)829-1040 or visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov and input the key words Alaska Permanent Fund or Estimated.

For more information, please visit the PFD website @ http://www.pfd.alaska.gov/.