Registration to sign up for the 2025 permanent fund dividend opened on Jan. 1 and will go through Mar. 31.
While the amount of this year’s PFD won’t be decided until the latter half of the year, Gov. Mike Dunleavy did plan for a full PFD payout in his recent budget proposal. The governor budgeted for a full PFD, which he said should be $3,892 per the statutory formula. “We’re putting it in the budget because it’s part of the law; it’s part of our statutes,” Dunleavy said. “We’re going to shoot for and put the proper amount of money in the budget for that.”
Similar numbers were forecasted last year when the governor released his proposed budget. However, the budget passed by the Legislature and signed by Dunleavy resulted in a PFD of $1,403.83, along with a one-time $298.17 energy relief check.
Dunleavy originally campaigned by stumping that he would restore a full permanent fund, which was fundamentally changed in 2016 when Gov. Bill Walker vetoed about half of the statutory PFD. Since being elected, Dunleavy has proposed budgets with full PFDs funded under the formula set in a 1982 state law.
Along with the proposed budget, the governor announced a projected decrease in state revenue to the tune of $200 million less. “This is due to lower oil prices as well as higher lease expenditures. A lower production forecast also contributed to the decreases seen through FY2030, but there is an expected increase in production and revenues after that,” said Department of Revenue Commissioner Adam Krum.
Residents can file for their PFD online at pfd.alaska.gov.
According to the MyPFD site: “To be eligible for the PFD check, an applicant must have been an Alaska resident for an entire calendar year preceding the date they applied for a dividend and intend to stay in Alaska indefinitely. Applicants who wish to receive a PFD must also not claim residency in another state or country. Residents who are absent from Alaska for more than 180 days are also not eligible to receive a PFD check.”