North Dakota tribe pushes for tax exemption

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe have voiced their opposition to a sales tax on their reservations’ casinos included in a draft legislation.

US.- A piece of legislation proposed in the North Dakota Legislative Assembly has put tribes on alert. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has voiced their opposition to the proposal as it would set a sales tax on their reservations but would be open to accepting it should casinos be excluded.

Tribe member Ron His Horse is Thunder told the Tribal Taxation Issues Committee that revenue from the gaming venues “is used for essential government services” on reservations and should be exempt from the sales tax.

“This is something we need to come to terms with,” His Horse is Thunder told the committee. The tribe’s former chairman also explained that it is no different than the tax-free status of North Dakota’s state-owned bank in Bismarck and a flour mill and grain elevator in Grand Forks that transfer most of their profits to finance a variety of state programs.

“Only the tribes can decide whether they want to impose the tax on their members,” Republican Sen. Dwight Cook of Mandan said. He asserted the draft legislation has yet to be discussed and will almost certainly be modified when the Legislature debates the bill in January.