Title 43 › CHAPTER 33 — ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT › § 1620
Exempts many Alaska Native payments, property transfers, and stock from federal, state, and local taxes. Money paid from the Alaska Native Fund to Regional Corporations, Village Corporations, or individual Natives is tax-free when received, but any income earned by investing that money is taxable. Shares given to Natives in those corporations are also tax-free. Land or cash given to equalize land swaps is tax-free when received. The tax basis for later sale of that land is the fair value at the time it was received, with a special rule that the portion tied to a mine, well, timber, or similar deposit cannot have a basis lower than its fair value when it was first commercially developed. Stock in those Regional and Village Corporations is excluded from the decedent’s estate for estate tax purposes only until January 1, 1992. Real property rules and other limits are included. Land handed to Natives that is not leased, not developed, or used only for exploration is exempt from state and local property taxes for 20 years from the date title vests or an interim conveyance or patent is issued. Parts of the land that are leased or developed can be taxed by local governments while leased or developed. Easements and rights‑of‑way can be taxed. Rents, royalties, and other income from the land are taxable like they would be for non‑Native owners. If land is exchanged with government or another qualifying party, the new land keeps the same tax treatment. Such lands count as public lands for certain federal highway and education formulas and may get U.S. wildland fire protection at no charge if they produce no substantial income. Receiving or using resource studies or related professional services does not count as taxable income to Native Corporations for 20 years after December 18, 1971, or until they get all their land, whichever comes first. A Native Corporation is treated as having started business on its incorporation date, its land‑selection costs count as ordinary business expenses, it is not a personal holding company before January 1, 1992, and small homesites (up to 1.5 acres) distributed to shareholders are treated as land under this law if they stay restricted to single‑family use for at least 10 years; if a homesite is subdivided, the recipient must pay the taxes that would have been due plus simple interest at 6% per year from the date they got the homesite.
Full Legal Text
Public Lands, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
43 U.S.C. § 1620
Title 43, Public Lands
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110