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Brazil has the major area of tropical forest and carbon stocks of the Amazon. There are plenty biomass distribution analysis with great difference between them, that make impossible to determine which is closer to the reality. IPCC (2006) recommends a biomass stratification at different levels of complexities (tiers), tier 1 requires IPCC default assumptions, methods and data; tier 2 requires detailed country specific strata, methods, assumptions and data. Thus, the aim of the study was to compare the carbon map of the Brazilian Amazon at IPCC tier 1 with the tier 2 carbon map used in Brazil`s Second National Communication to the UNFCCC and suggest the improvements that can be made. We started analyzing the forest biomass stratification and the emission factors (carbon estimates) to get tier 1 and tier 2 maps. As the biomass distribution of tier 2 MCT (2010) results in quadrants because of the RADAM Volumes extrapolation, an alternative tier 2 carbon map was elaborated using the mean biomass of the RADAM plots of each forest stratum. Tier 1 map simplified a more complex reality comparing to MCT (2010) tier 2 map with more detail and number of stratums. The alternative tier 2 carbon map had better carbon stocks distribution, even though future studies and an uncertainty analyses are needed to compare, validate and improve the MCT (2010) tier 2 approach and thus get a consistent carbon map for the Brazilian Amazon.