Alaska trust cost has three parts: the trustee's set-up work, the law firm's drafting and third-party charges, then yearly administration fees. We publish the set-up fee for a standard trust in Alaska on this page; annual administration, event-based work and third-party charges are quoted after we review your case. This page explains each part.
The set-up fee for a Alaska (USA) trust is shown under the key facts. The other groups of cost depend on the structure and are quoted after we review your case.
Set-up
Structure design and onboarding checks
Trust deed drafting by the law firm
Trustee acceptance and account opening
Ongoing
Annual trustee fee
Accounting, minutes and records
Reporting to authorities
Third party
Bank and custodian charges
Tax and legal advice in other countries
Registry or stamp duty where it applies
Key facts
Governing law
A settlor can also be a beneficiary of a spendthrift trust: AS 34.40.110[1]
Perpetuity period
Powers of appointment must be exercised or end within 1,000 years[2]
Reserved settlor powers
The settlor may appoint and remove trustees, protectors and advisors[1]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Set-up fee
Standard trust
USD 14,000
Trust set-up in Alaska (USA): the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by a local partner trustee, coordinated by One Pacific Trust
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
This fee includes the local partner trustee's acceptance fee as agreed with One Pacific Trust.
Set-up fees shown are One Pacific Trust fees in US dollars for the standard scope described, before government, registry, bank and other third-party charges, which are passed through at cost or billed to you directly.
Annual administration, event-based work and anything outside the standard scope are quoted after we review your case.
A published fee is not an offer and is not tax or legal advice; the terms that apply are those set out in writing when you engage us.
What an Alaska trust costs
Illustration, not a real client.
There is no single total cost, and an Alaska trust shows why. The settlor can be a beneficiary and can appoint and remove trustees, protectors and advisors, so the drafting and the yearly work follow the powers you choose.
Set-up costs: what they cover
Set-up costs are the one-off work around signing the deed and moving assets in.
Identity and wealth checks. On the settlor, who may also be a beneficiary, and on any protector or advisor the deed names.
Power mapping. Agreeing with the Alaska lawyer which powers the settlor keeps, such as appointing and removing trustees, and which go to others.
Affidavit. The settlor signs a sworn affidavit before assets move, and the file records it.
Acceptance of office. The trustee resolves to act, and the trust’s file is opened.
Asset transfer. Once the affidavit is signed, the account opens and each asset is retitled to the trustee.
A settlor who keeps few powers needs less drafting than one who wants to hire and fire the trustee and the advisor. The set-up guide shows the order.
Ongoing trustee and administration costs
Ongoing costs are the yearly work of administering the trust. The fee normally includes:
title to the assets, held apart from the trustee’s own property;
minutes of each decision, including a distribution to the settlor as beneficiary;
an annual account and asset report;
periodic identity refreshes set by risk;
tax information forms and the keeping of records.
Some work is charged when it happens. A change of trustee, protector or advisor is the likeliest, since the settlor’s right to make such changes is a feature of Alaska trusts.
A distribution to the settlor takes extra review, and out-of-scope work is billed on time spent.
Third-party costs
Third-party costs are charged by other firms. Some are passed through at cost, and others are billed to you.
Item
Charged by
Timing
Deed, settlor’s affidavit and letter of wishes
Alaska trust lawyer
At set-up, and on amendment
Tax advice in your country of residence
Your tax adviser
Before signing
Investment advice, if an advisor is named
Investment advisor
Ongoing
Holding company, if one is placed in the trust
Corporate services provider
At set-up, then yearly
Safekeeping and account charges
Bank or custodian
Ongoing
Basis: the Alaska questions on our enquiry form, checked 2026-11-05.
The law and features page sets out the powers and limits the statute gives the settlor.
What changes the total
These five factors move an Alaska total most:
Settlor powers. Each power kept back, from removing a trustee to naming an advisor, needs a clause and a record.
Value band. Assets are grouped into value bands, and the yearly fee follows the band.
Kinds of assets. Listed securities move quickly; land or a family company needs title papers and valuations.
Settlor as beneficiary. Payouts to the settlor are reviewed and minuted each time.
Companies under the trust. Each company the trust owns adds its own formation papers and yearly filings.
When you compare estimates, check what each one includes and which outside costs are passed through. A lower headline figure can leave items outside the fee.
Why the total cannot be fixed in advance
Beyond the published set-up fee, a fixed total would hide the choices that drive the work. In Alaska those choices are mostly about who holds which power and who is paid for exercising it.
The assets matter as much. A portfolio at one custodian is quick to document, while shares in a private company need ownership papers, valuations and sometimes the consent of other shareholders.
How to get a quote
We ask you a short set of questions: the powers you want to keep, the value band, the kinds of assets, the beneficiaries and the countries connected.
What do I pay for when I set up a trust in Alaska?
You pay for the trustee's set-up work (checks, structure design, accepting office), the Alaska law firm that drafts the deed, and any company or tax work. A quote lists each item and says which charges are passed through, so you see who bills what.
Are there ongoing costs for a trust in Alaska?
Yes. The yearly fee covers title to the assets, minutes, the annual account and asset report, identity refreshes and records. A change of trustee, protector or advisor is charged when it happens, and a distribution to the settlor as beneficiary takes extra review. Bank and audit charges are passed through or billed directly.
Pick a question for a short answer from our FAQ. Nothing you choose here is sent anywhere. This is a scripted guide from our FAQ, not live chat and not advice.
Setting up, the law and tax
What happens, step by step, when you set up an offshore trust?
First agree the purpose and who should benefit. Your lawyer drafts the deed under the chosen law while the trustee checks identity and the source of the assets. After signing, the assets move into the trustee’s name and are recorded. The guide shows each stage in more detail.
Usually the owner transfers the shares or membership interest to the trustee under the deed, after checking the company’s own documents and any consent a lender or partner must give. The trustee then holds the interest and the company carries on. Company, tax and local law checks come first, so involve your lawyer.
Yes, in the places whose law provides for them. A trust needs a lawful purpose, a valid deed under its governing law, and taxes and reporting dealt with where the people involved live. It cannot be used to hide assets, defeat existing creditors or evade tax. A trustee will refuse a trust whose purpose or funding it cannot confirm.
It depends on where the settlor, the beneficiaries, the trustee and the assets are, and on the law that governs the trust. Many countries tax trust income or distributions in the hands of the people they treat as owners or recipients, and exchange account data under international reporting rules. We do not give tax advice, so ask your own adviser before you sign.
How long does it take to appoint a Hong Kong trustee?
Time depends mostly on how quickly documents arrive and on checks by banks and registries outside our control, so we do not promise a date. Once you apply, the client portal shows each step and what is outstanding, and a 30-minute call sets out what to prepare first.
The cost depends on the structure, the places and assets involved, how many parties the trustee must check, and how much work the trust needs each year. We publish the set-up fee for each place; annual administration and event-based work are quoted after we review your case. Banking, legal and registry charges outside our control can add to it.
A trustee can borrow only if the deed and the governing law allow it. A lender will usually ask to see the deed, the trustee’s authority and the purpose of the loan. Some deeds limit borrowing or need a protector’s consent. Ask a lawyer before approaching a lender.
What is asset management, and is it what a trustee does?
Asset management means running investments for a client, usually under a licence. A trustee does something different: it holds the assets, checks instructions against the deed, approves distributions and keeps the record. A bank or licensed manager that the deed allows for can run the investments.
Hong Kong
Singapore
BVI
Jersey
