Anishinabek receive complaints over HST

The Anishinabek Nation is calling for retailers to honour point-of-sale tax exemptions after community members reported being gouged by companies.
"Even after the province has sent out notices informing businesses that they must honour the rights of our citizens - on and off-reserve - to tax exemption, we are hearing stories of companies trying to gouge First Nations customers," said Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee. "These retailers are now breaking their own government's laws, as well as ignoring First Nation rights."
A Nishnawbe Aski Nation representative said only one case was reported of a business not honouring the tax exemption; most businesses throughout northwestern Ontario had been honouring the tax exemption.
Ontario's eight-per cent PST and the federal five-per cent GST were harmonized into the 13-per cent HST July 1, with a goal of providing a competitive advantage to businesses within the province.
Although First Nation citizens had to pay the HST since July 1, a last-minute agreement reached with the federal and provincial governments by First Nation organizations and groups. The agreement said that First Nation citizens in Ontario are exempt from the eight per cent provincial portion of the 13 per cent HST. The agreement also called for retailers to honour this tax exemption effective Sept. 1.
Madahbee encouraged community members to call their local Member of Provincial Parliament to provide them with the name of any business refusing to respect the point-of-sale exemption to the 8-per-cent provincial sales tax.
"That was part of the deal we negotiated with Ontario; they accepted responsibility for ensuring that all businesses in the province complied with their tax regime," Madahbee said. "We showed Ontario that we were prepared to take to the streets to fight for our rights; we are also prepared to fight for our rights in stores and malls, if necessary."
First Nation citizens can apply for refunds of the taxes they paid throughout July and August by filling out refund applications, which were to be made available after Aug. 1 at band council offices, online at the Ministry of Revenue website at www.ontario.ca/taxchange or by calling 1-866-668-8297.
Refund applications, which need to be submitted between Sept. 1-Nov. 1, 2010, must contain the original sales receipts and a photocopy of both sides of the Status Indian Card, or in the case of Indian bands and councils, a letter from the band or council certifying the consumption of qualifying off-reserve supplies for band activities.
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Read the statement from Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse