Tax free status is a white elephant, something that distracts from the more important issues. Personally as an aboriginal person the “Dance of Dependency” has to stop, We need a First Nations Tax (FNT) that would replace the GST/HST on reserve and revenues be redirected to programs and services.
I personally feel that we need to focus on the bigger picture, “Let us not ask what our Country can do for us, Let us ask what we can do for our Country.”
LOL!!! Are you saying that my “Status” a First Nation should have an expiry date? or that the card should be renewed every so often?
And BTW: If social services and other government programs were available on the rez, and the standards of living were comparable to the rest of Canada, I would have no objections to paying tax on the rez.
Forgive my ignorance yet again but if that is the case then why when I have been waiting in line at Zellers or the Bargain Store, have the cashiers asked if the customer ahead of me has their status card with them?
of course your status as a first nation can’t expire im tallking about your getting tax free status should expire at a certain age or when you make a certain amount in a year like how i dont get get child tax credit any more because i make too much. even tho i have three kids and i spend more as a taxpayer they take away my tax credit .
Get this, live together for two years at the same address and Revenue Canada says your common-law and tax status changes. It’s up to YOU to prove otherwise. They declare it before you do!
So let’s be fucking fair here and remove sex from the equation. You gotta change roomies before two years or you’re same-sex common-law! See how THAT flies revenooers!!!
Muah-hah-hah! :evil:
every facet of the government is crooks . im doing renos right now im loving it and cant wait for the finished product and the “rebates” for doing renos from the government but hating the fact that my taxes will go up because my property value will go up when done lol
There are two possibilities. Status cards can be used as a general ID card like a driver’s licence, or the store doesn’t understand the tax exemption in the Indian Act:
…
87. (1) Notwithstanding any other Act of Parliament or any Act of the legislature of a province, but subject to section 83 and section 5 of the First Nations Fiscal and Statistical Management Act, the following property is exempt from taxation:
(a) the interest of an Indian or a band in reserve lands or surrendered lands; and
(b) the personal property of an Indian or a band situated on a reserve
…
Purchased goods and services are “personal property” in tax law. Under section 83 a band can tax individual band members (and also land). Hence, a band could have a sales tax on purchases in an on-reserve store to support local services, but could not collect it from non-band members, ie the tax would not be ‘harmonized’.
My read of Freedom of Thought’s comment about the tax exemption being a “white elephant” is that there is little or no opportunity to buy goods on-reserve tax exempt; few people work on reserve tax exempt (and wages are not always equivalent), but section 87 generates so much confusion and in some cases ill-informed animosity and remarks.
Also worth keeping in mind is that according to the 2006 census over 73% of aboriginal people, and about 57% of those who have status, live off-reserve - that’s the fastest growing demographic - and are subject to exactly the same taxes on off-reserve purchases and income as everyone else.
There’s an excellent letter in today Daily News listing the items that are now not taxable but will be if this ridiculous tax is not challenged by all of us!
Think about your grocery bill, utilities, hair cuts etc, all the things we spend our money on each day. Over a year it will be hundreds or thousands of dollars out of your pocket.
Petitions are starting to circulate province wide and there is one at the MLA’s office across from Overwaitea…drop in and sign it if you also think this harmonized tax is a bad idea.
You can also print a hard copy, get your friends and family to sign, as many signatures as you can get. We all have to get involved and try to stop this money grabbing tax.
If the Olympics weren’t such a money pit, would this happen? If the economy hadn’t tanked to the extent it has, would this happen?
Ontario knee jerked into HST because of the economy. East Coast did it because of economy (government doesn’t do anything unless there is “perceived” gain or legacy attached).
Sign petitions and vote Green next election.
I will pay fair taxes for health, education and infrastructure but…why do I have to pay for fast ferries, major cost over runs on professionally designed and managed projects, excessive salaries/benefits for’ public paid for corporations.
In a province so rich, why?
The advantage of keeping people factional…north-south, indigenous-non-indigenous. Think if we all worked together as Canadian British Columbians.?!
Heard that at the Council Meeting last night they considered the HST matter and it seems like Council agreed to sponsor a resolution from Councillor Ashley at the UBCM Conference to seek support for “repealing” the HST and instead focus on improving the PST instead.
It’s been a bit of a morning for technical difficulties, but here’s the story…
The City of Prince Rupert will be putting forward a motion for consideration by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities voicing their displeasure with the Harmonized Sales Tax, but at least one councillor voiced opposition to the idea.
