Budget & Taxes

HB 1 clarifies that gold and silver coins (defined as "specie") cannot be subject to borough or city sales and use taxes in Alaska. It also updates Alaska's legal tender definition to include federal, recognized foreign, or state-authorized gold/silver coins, while explicitly stating individuals are not required to accept such coins for payments. The bill primarily affects local tax policies and defines the conditions under which specie qualifies as legal tender, without creating new taxes or altering existing tax obligations.

HB 100 would impose a 5% tax on all campaign spending made in Alaska for federal political campaigns, including media, salaries, consultants, and expenses required to be reported to the Federal Election Commission. This tax must be collected by the federal campaign and paid at the time of expenditure, with remittance to the state department. The bill directly affects federal candidates, committees, and political action committees conducting campaign activities within Alaska. It takes effect January 1, 2026, and is in addition to any local municipal taxes. The tax applies only to spending occurring within the state for federal elections.

SB 138 adjusts Alaska's passenger vehicle rental tax rates, imposing a 10% tax on traditional rentals (not arranged through a platform) and an 8% tax on rentals arranged through a vehicle rental platform (like apps or websites). It requires platforms with over 200 annual transactions to collect and pay the tax, provide tax records to the state, and exempts them from liability if they made reasonable efforts to obtain correct information from vehicle owners. The bill also prohibits the state from collecting taxes for platform rentals that occurred before the bill's effective date. This primarily affects rental companies and platforms meeting the transaction threshold, with no retroactive tax collection for prior platform transactions.

SB 113 would enact the Multistate Tax Compact into Alaska law, creating a standardized system for taxing businesses operating across multiple states. The bill directly affects multistate businesses, particularly highly digitized companies (such as online service providers), by changing how their income is apportioned for Alaska tax purposes. Key provisions include adopting the compact's rules to prevent double taxation and simplify tax filings for businesses operating in multiple jurisdictions. The bill also includes specific adjustments for highly digitized businesses under Alaska's Net Income Tax Act, aligning their tax treatment with the compact's framework.