The Obama administration will hold a consultation and listening session later this month to discuss taxation policies affecting tribes.

The Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service will discuss the "tribal general welfare exclusion" on a conference call at 3pm, Eastern Time, on May 30. All tribal leaders are invited to participate by calling 1-888-810-9155 with the access code 750610.

Last year, the IRS issued a notice to discuss whether the benefits that tribal members receive from certain programs provided by tribal governments can be excluded from income taxes. Tribes say the exclusion has not been applied consistently.

"During recent consultations, Treasury and IRS heard tribal concerns regarding consistent treatment of tribal programs in the IRS compliance programs," the IRS said in a press release. "To address those concerns, the Office of Indian Tribal Governments of the IRS is looking at what administrative steps it can take to develop a national coordination process in order to ensure that general welfare programs are reviewed in a consistent fashion."

The issue was discussed at a Senate Finance Committee hearing this morning.

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IRS Consults with Tribal Leaders on Welfare Exclusion (Accounting Today 5/15)

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