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NYSAC Standing Committee Implores Governor to Collect Sales Taxes on Native American Lands
January 28, 2008
For the eighth year in a row, the New York State Association of Counties’ (NYSAC’s) Standing Committee on Native American Affairs and Gaming has passed a resolution calling on the Governor to begin collecting sales taxes on cigarettes and gas sold on Native American lands to non-Native Americans.
The lack of sales tax collection has cost the state and local governments more than a billion dollars, according to estimates by Committee Chairman Paul Miller, Madison County Planner. This year alone, Governor Spitzer has projected $187 million in this sales tax revenue for the 2008-09 State Fiscal Year. Last year he allocated $200 million in his budget, but the state has yet to begin collecting this revenue.
“Our counties depend on sales tax revenues to deliver and fund a wide range of critical programs and services necessary for the health, welfare and safety of their citizens,” said Miller. “Counties provide those services whether or not we receive the sales tax revenue. It just means we have to depend that much more on property taxpayers to cover those costs.”
According to the resolution passed today by the committee and recently by several of the counties who lose sales tax revenue because of the proximity of Native American retailers, “Indian tribes and Indian retailers across New York State do not, on their own initiative, collect and remit to the State of New York or to local governments any sales and excise taxes on sales of tobacco products or motor fuels to non-tribal members.”
“For two years running, the Governor has included Native American sales tax revenue in his Executive Budget. We are asking him today to demonstrate his plan to begin collecting the sales tax as quickly as possible,” said Miller. “It is State law, and it has been upheld by the courts. We are asking him simply to abide by the law, for the sake of the state budget, our county budgets and for all of our property taxpayers.”
The New York State Association of Counties is a bipartisan municipal association serving all 62 counties of New York State including the City of New York. Organized in 1925, NYSAC’s mission is to represent, educate and advocate for member counties and the thousands of elected and appointed county officials who serve the public.
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