A number of employees at the First Nations University of Canada’s Saskatoon campus will soon be paying a lot less tax.
This is because the institution will be moving to an on-reserve location just off Hwy 11 south in July and First Nations employees will become income tax exempt.
FNUC Acting President Juliano Tupone says the pressure was on to find an on-reserve location after Canada Revenue Agency ended a previous income tax exemption for employees at the beginning of last year.
“We were directed by the Canada Revenue Agency to change our practice with respect to income tax exemption of First Nations or status Indian employees of our institution,” he says. “January of 2013, we began collecting provincial and federal taxes.”
He adds while tax reasons are the main reason for the move, the university also found it has more room than needed at its current 20th Street location.
“Additionally, we have excess space at our current facility in Saskatoon on 20th Street that we do not require or make use of. So, we will be moving to a smaller space at the on-reserve facility in English River.”
FNUC will join the University of Saskatchewan’s Office of First Nation and Métis Engagement and the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre on reserve land owned by the English River First Nation.
First Nations employees at the Prince Albert campus will continue to pay both provincial and federal taxes while employees at the Regina campus pay provincial taxes.
Tupone says FNUC is continuing to search for an on-reserve site for the Prince Albert campus and the plan remains to convert the land the Regina campus is currently situated on to reserve status.
All three campuses have a total of about 110 full time staff.
Roughly ten of these employees work at the Saskatoon campus.