Eleventh Circuit Affirms IRS Authority to Issue Subpoenas of Miccosukee Records

Here is the opinion in Miccosukee Tribe of Indians v. United States.

An excerpt:

This appeal presents three issues: (1) whether the Miccosukee Tribe may assert tribal sovereign immunity to quash summonses issued to third-party financial institutions by the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service to obtain tribal financial records relevant to an ongoing tax investigation; (2) whether the Commissioner issued the summonses for a proper purpose; and (3) whether the Tribe has standing to bring an overbreadth challenge to summonses issued to third parties and, if so, whether the summonses were overbroad. In 2010, the Commissioner issued four summonses to third-party financial institutions to determine whether the Tribe had complied with its federal withholding requirements during the period from 2006 to 2009. The Tribe petitioned to quash the summonses on the grounds of sovereign immunity, improper purpose, relevance, bad faith, and overbreadth. The district court denied those petitions. Because we conclude that tribal sovereign immunity does not bar the issuance of these third-party summonses, the district court did not clearly err when it found that the summonses were issued for a proper purpose, and the Tribe lacks standing to challenge the summonses for overbreadth, we affirm.

Briefs are here.

Lower court materials here.

IRS Newsletter with Updates on TEDBs and Tribal Trust Judgment Proceeds

Here:

ITG News Oct 2012

Federal Government Seizure of Seneca-Cayuga Tobacco Company Account

News coverage here.

Federal complaint in United States v. $566,202 (W.D. Mo.) is here:

US Forfeiture Complaint

Cherokee/Choctaw Man’s Suit against Employer for Withholding Federal Taxes Dismissed

Here are the materials in Bey v. UPS (E.D. N.Y.):

UPS Motion to Dismiss

DCT Order Granting Motion to Dismiss

Federal Agents Raid Puyallup Members’ Smokeshop

Here.

IRS Notice 2012-60 (Per Capita Payments from Proceeds of Settlements of Indian Tribal Trust Cases)

Here:

Notice 2012-60

Federal Court Rejects Effort by Village of Hobart to Tax Oneida Trust Lands (Stormwater Fees Case)

Here are the materials in Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin v. Village of Hobart (W.D. Wis.):

DCT Order Granting Oneida Motion for Summary J

Oneida Motion for Summary J

Federal Motion to Dismiss

Hobart Opposition to Oneida Motion

Hobart Opposition to Federal Motion

Oneida Reply

Federal Reply

Prior post on this case here.

The Tribe’s prior entanglements with their litigious neighbors are reported here and here and here and here and here.

Split Washington SCT Holds Tribes are Not Indispensable to Private Challenge to State-Tribal Tax Compacts

Here is the majority:

856613.opn

And the dissent:

856613.no1

And links to all the briefs:

85661-3 – Automotive United Trades Organization v. State of Washington et al.
Hearing Date – 01/12/2012

Muscogee (Creek) Tax Compact with Oklahoma

Here:

Tobacco Compact – Muscogee Creek Nation 2012-08-24

Related news coverage here.

The Creek Nation consents to the jurisdiction of Oklahoma Courts and agrees to pay $11.5 million to settle a state court lawsuit by the Oklahoma Tax Commission against the Creek Nation, and certain tribal retailers and wholesalers.

D.C. Circuit Briefs in Saginaw Chippewa Member Challenge to Adverse U.S. Tax Court Decision

Here are the briefs in Johnson v. CIR:

Johnson Appellant Brief

IRS Brief

Lower court decision here.