Jeremy Wright: Ponca Tribe wants to work with communities

The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska would like to address some incorrect information that was presented in recent articles in the Daily News regarding White Eagle Express in Bloomfield.

The article said the tribe has requested that the land be “exempt(ed) from all taxes imposed by the federal government or any state or local government.” However, there is no such thing as having the tribe’s land exempted from taxes. The tribe has requested that the Bureau of Indian Affairs place the land the business is located on in trust for the tribe, but the land being placed into trust does not result in any automatic or blanket exemption from all taxes.

First, the status of the land in trust generally does not result in any federal tax exemption. While the tribe may obtain certain federal excise tax exemptions for its essential government functions — the same as the State of Nebraska is exempt from those taxes — the trust status of the land by itself will not generally affect federal taxation in any manner.

As for state taxes, the article is also incorrect in asserting an automatic or blanket exemption. While there may be some impact on some state taxes, that impact is dependent on the particular state tax involved and the activity or persons being taxed. Furthermore, the tribe has attempted over the years to obtain agreements with the state governing the imposition and collection of sales taxes on its lands to enhance the government-to-government relationship between the tribe and the state and establish clear rules that benefit both governments. Unfortunately, the state has never responded to the tribe’s requests or proposals.