The Indian Country Today Media Network has published a column by Gabe Galanda, "The State Taxman Cometh."
[T]ribal governments and their business partners must redouble their efforts to prevent taxation by the state and its little sibling. Indian leaders should reevaluate the terms of their revenue allocation plans and business partnerships, and related tax laws, to ensure tribal intramural and external dealings are insulated from non-tribal taxation. Tribal laws should be amended and business deals restructured as necessary. Policies of tribal taxation, or not, should also be reexamined, insofar as tribal excise taxation of various reservation-based economic activities will create factors that militate against state or local taxation.
In 2011, the state taxman cometh. Indian country, be prepared.
Gabriel "Gabe" Galanda is a partner at Galanda Broadman PLLC, of Seattle, an American Indian majority-owned law firm. He is an enrolled member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes of Covelo, California. He can be reached at 206.691.3631 or gabe@galandabroadman.com, or via galandabroadman.com.
