The following is an important notice that tribal members living in the tax agreement area should read. (For more information about the Tribal Tax Agreement, please see www.saulttribe.com/government/tribal-tax-agreement.)
Tribal Member Registration in the Tax Agreement Area
Tribal Members’ Responsibilities (including the issuance of Certificates of Exemptions)
Initial Registration and or Change of Address
Under the Tax Agreement between the tribe and the state, tribal members who live within the “agreement area” are able to claim exemption from certain state taxes. In order to take advantage of these benefits, the member must be registered with the Tribal Tax Office and must prove that they do live in the agreement area.
The registration process begins with the member filling out an “Address Verification Card” and providing their name, address, and other personal information. The member must also provide a copy of their Michigan driver’s license, Michigan state ID card, or voter’s registration card. All of these forms of state identification MUST have the member’s current address and that address must be located in the Tax Agreement Area. Members must also include a utility bill in their name and their current address as an additional proof of residency in the Tax Agreement Area. The Tribal Tax Office cannot register a member with the MI Department of Treasury unless these documents are included with the “Address Verification Card.”
Certificate of Exemptions
Tribal Code 43.1103 states that resident tribal members shall notify the Tribal Tax Office in writing prior to moving their principal place of residence. If the Tribal Tax Office receives a request for a Certificate of Exemption and the address for the member on the request is not the same as the address that the Tribal Tax Office and MI Department of Treasury have on record, then no Certificate of Exemption can be issued. We will usually attempt to contact the member to ask them to update their address by filling out the address verification card and providing the required documents, but it is the member’s responsibility to provide this information. A Certificate of Exemption cannot be issued unless the member has filed the correct information proving that they live within the agreement area.