TREASURER PERRY SHARES KEY FINANCIAL DATA FOR SEPTEMBER 2026 AND DISCUSSES UPDATES ON MAINE’S AFFORDABILITY PAYMENTS

What this means

Maine Treasurer Joe Perry’s October 15 report covered September investments, municipal payments and unclaimed property returns, alongside the state’s $300 affordability payments. The embedded table places the September 30 cash pool near $3.47 billion and the budget reserve near $762.39 million. The office reported $24.01 million distributed to municipalities and $1.31 million paid on 2,470 unclaimed-property claims during September. It also listed 476,015 affordability checks worth $142.8 million as issued by October 7. To qualify for that payment, residents must file a 2025 return by October 15 as full-year Maine residents, not be claimable as dependents, and have federal adjusted gross income below $100,000 for joint filers or qualifying surviving spouses, $75,000 for heads of household, or $50,000 for single or married-separate filers.

Official release

Source material from Maine Office of the State Treasurer. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

October 15, 2026

Augusta, ME: Treasurer Joe Perry shared key financial figures today for the month of September.

The State of Maine Cash Pool represents investments permissible by Maine Statute: Title 5: Administrative Procedures and Services, Part 1: State Departments, Chapter 7: Treasurer of State, Section 135, and consists of excess money in the State Treasury that is 'not needed to meet current obligations'. The State funds and funds of component units of the State are pooled and invested by the Treasurer's Office; generally most securities are held to maturity or called when the par value of the security is received.

The Budget Stabilization Fund (sometimes referred to as the Rainy Day Fund) was created in 2003.

The Budget Stabilization Fund acts as the State of Maine’s savings account. It is a reserve balance that is set aside in good economic times to protect the state budget from the volatile changes in revenues that can occur when the economy unexpectedly slows. The goal of the Fund is to reduce the effect on the operation and services of state government and prevent policymakers from increasing taxes during sudden economic downturns.

Revenue Sharing is distributed per Title 30-A, Subpart 9, Chapter 223, Subchapter 2, Section 5681, by the 20th of each month to each municipality based on a formula whose variables include municipal populations, state valuations and tax assessments. The monthly revenue sharing pool is funded by setting aside a percentage of the State Government's sales, service provider, personal and corporate income tax receipts for the month. For a detailed description of how the funds are calculated and distributed, please see the Calculate Revenue Sharing. September’s distribution was $24,013,190.39. (August’s distribution was $24,637,854.98; September 2025’s distribution was $23,897,100.84).

Unclaimed Property consists of money and other financial assets that are considered lost or abandoned when an owner cannot be located after a specified period of time of inactivity. It includes items such as bank accounts, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, unpaid wages, stocks and dividends, refunds, and safe deposit box contents. Unclaimed Property does not include real estate, animals or vehicles.

Each and every year, tens of millions of dollars go unclaimed by Maine residents. These financial assets are turned over by thousands of national and local businesses and organizations by a law called MRSA Title 33, Chapter 45: Maine Revised Unclaimed Property Act. http://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/33/title33ch45sec0.html. The Treasurer’s office holds these assets, free of charge, until claimed by the owner or heir. The State is currently holding approximately $384,000,000 in unclaimed property. In the month of September, 2,470 claims paid for $1,313,267.67 (9,704 properties paid).

Highest single payment in September 2026 was for $33,652 (Insurance Policy). Last September 2025 paid 1,401 for $1,345,778.63 (3,482 properties paid). In the month of August, 1,625 claims paid for $749,551.09 (3,885 properties paid)

Highlight: Maine Affordability Payments Status and Update

The affordability payment is a $300 one-time payment that will be mailed to eligible Maine residents beginning in late July 2026. To be eligible, individuals must meet ALL three criteria below.

File a 2025 Maine individual income tax return by October 15, 2026, as a full-year Maine resident.

Not be eligible to be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s 2025 individual income tax return.

Have federal adjusted gross income of less than:

$100,000 if married filing a joint return or a qualifying surviving spouse;

$75,000 if filing as head of household; or

$50,000 if single or married filing separately.

UPDATE:

Number of Checks Issued to date (a/o October 7): 476,015 a total of $142,804,500

Number of Checks Not Cashed to date: approximately 58,6017 or 12.3%

About the Office of the Treasurer: the Office of the Treasurer of State is established in Article V, Part Third of the Constitution of the State of Maine. The core duties of the Treasurer’s Office are debt management, cash management, trust fund administration and unclaimed property administration. Other major tasks assigned to the Treasurer are directorships on many of Maine’s quasi-governmental debt issuing agencies and distributions under the Municipal Revenue Sharing Program.

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Release text attributed to Maine Office of the State Treasurer. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.