2nd Sask. First Nation starts charging its own GST
A First Nation in southwestern Saskatchewan is now charging its own goods and services tax — with the money coming back to the band.
The Nekaneet First Nation is the second reserve in the province to collect First Nations GST (FN-GST), the first being Whitecap Dakota First Nation.
The tax gets sent to Ottawa and the federal government cuts the band a cheque. FN-GST money will go into the band's general revenues.
Under the old system, the government kept any GST collected on Nekaneet reserve land from non-First Nations people.
The catch is that from now on, First Nations people who had previously not paid the tax must do so.
Earlier this year, the band said it hoped to bring in $20,000 a month, money which would be used for economic development.
Nekaneet wants to generate tax revenue at the Living Sky Casino in Swift Current and on office space it owns in Regina. Both properties are on Nekaneet urban reserves.
Whitecap started collecting its own GST three years ago.
