(a) A resident of the state who rents a permanent place of abode is eligible for a tax equivalency payment from the state through the department if the resident is

Terms Used In Alaska Statutes 29.45.040

  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • municipality: means a political subdivision incorporated under the laws of the state that is a home rule or general law city, a home rule or general law borough, or a unified municipality. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
  • person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, organization, business trust, or society, as well as a natural person. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
  • property: includes real and personal property. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
  • state: means the State of Alaska unless applied to the different parts of the United States and in the latter case it includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
(1) at least 65 years old;
(2) a disabled veteran; or
(3) at least 60 years old and the widow or widower of a person who was eligible for payment under (1) or (2) of this subsection.
(b) For purposes of determining the amount of a payment to an eligible person, the department shall calculate at the rate of one percent per mill a property tax equivalent percentage for each municipality that levies a property tax. The property tax equivalent percentage applied to the annual rent charged to the applicant equals the property tax equivalency payment payable under this section.
(c) To obtain a tax equivalency payment the eligible resident must apply to the department for payment for the preceding year by January 15 of each year on forms and in the manner prescribed by the department. The department for good cause shown may waive an applicant’s failure to make timely application for a tax equivalency payment and accept the application as if timely filed. Each applicant shall submit with the application rental receipts or, if rental receipts are not available, other evidence satisfactory to the department for determination of the fact of payment of rent and the amount paid. A disabled veteran shall submit with the application evidence of the disability rating.
(d) If two or more persons occupy a residence as tenants, not all of whom are eligible for a tax equivalency payment under this section, the assessor shall determine equitable partial payments to be made to the eligible tenants. However, a tax equivalency payment to an eligible applicant may not be reduced because the spouse is less than 65 years of age or is not a disabled veteran. If all occupants in a residence are eligible for a tax equivalency payment under this section, the occupants shall decide between and among themselves which shall receive payment.
(e) If appropriations are not sufficient to fully fund tax equivalency payments under this section, the amount available shall be distributed pro rata among eligible residents.
(f) In this section, “disabled veteran” has the meaning given in Alaska Stat. § 29.45.030(i).