1. No category

9214EN – Rev. 03/2014
Tribal Trust Fund Settlement Payments
Who is this publication for?
exclusion also applies to initial purchases made
with settlement funds, but does not apply to
sale or conversion of initial purchases.
Read this if:
•
You have received or may be
receiving money as a result of the
Tribal Trust Accounting and
Management lawsuits filed by tribes
against the United States; AND
•
You receive or may apply for needsbased public benefits including
Supplemental Security Income (SSI),
food assistance, public or subsidized
housing, Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) or Medicaid.
•
You may file a tax statement for
2012 or 2013.
Example: Joe is a member of the Confederated
Tribes of the Colville Reservation. He received a
$4000 per capita payment, paid from Tribal
Trust Accounting and Management settlement
funds. Joe used the money to buy a car. SSA
excludes the $4000 per capita payment as
income and a resource. They also exclude the
car as a resource because it was an initial
purchase made with settlement funds.
However, if Joe sells the car, the SSA may count
the money he gets from the sale unless he
spends it by the end of the month.
DSHS (cash, food, and medical assistance):
The Department of Social and Health Services
(DSHS) and the state Health Care Authority have
indicated that for those eligible for or receiving
cash, food or medical assistance, the settlement
funds will be treated as exempt income and
resources as long as they are separately
identifiable from countable resources.
Background: In 2012, 61 tribes entered into
settlement agreements resolving claims
that the Department of the Interior and the
Department of the Treasury mismanaged
trust funds and natural resources held for
the benefit of the tribes. Each tribe will
decide how it will use the settlement funds
and whether it will distribute funds to
individual members.
Federally Subsidized Housing: The U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) issued program
guidance stating that per capita payments
generated from the settlement funds that
are not distributed regularly may be
excluded as “temporary, nonrecurring or
sporadic income” for purposes of Section 8
and public housing under 24 CFR 5.609(c).
If I receive settlement funds, will
they affect my eligibility for public
benefits or cause an overpayment?
Social Security Income (SSI): The Social
Security Administration (SSA) has determined
that it will not count per capita payments paid
to tribal members under the settlement
agreements as income or resources. The
Example: Tribal member participates in
Section 8 housing program. Tribe disburses
a per capita payment to members from
1
9214EN – Rev. 03/2014
a supervisor or legal services office for
help.
settlement funds. Several months later,
tribe disburses a second payment of a
different amount. Tribe does not indicate
that it will be disbursing future periodic
payments. These payments should be
excluded from calculation of annual
income.
May I keep the settlement funds in
the same bank account as my
benefits?
No. If possible, open a separate account for
the settlement funds, so there is no doubt
that the money is exempt. IRS, Social
Security, or DSHS might doubt that money
you have is from the tribal trust settlement.
Do not mix the settlement funds with
other money. Keep records of the
settlement funds and how you spend/save
them. You might have to prove later that
certain money you have is from the
settlement.
Are the settlement funds taxable?
No. The IRS advised that payments directly
attributable to the proceeds of tribal trust
settlements are not taxable. If the tribe
invests the settlement money, then
distributes to you and other members the
settlement amount, plus interest, the
additional interest payments will be
taxable.
I get public benefits. Do I need to
report any funds I receive from the
trust settlement?
Does this info also apply to
individual trust claims?
No. This publication covers only tribal trust
settlements from the group of lawsuits
sometimes referred to as Nez Perce Tribe,
et al. v. Salazar, et al. The settlement funds
were made to tribes for mismanagement of
tribal trust property. These tribal trust
settlement funds are different than the
Cobell lawsuit. Cobell involved individual
tribal trust accounts.
Yes. Even though these funds should not be
counted as income or a resource, the funds
must be reported.
You should report all changes in income and
assets. For SSA and DSHS, you must report
all changes in your income and resources by
the tenth day of the month following the
month you receive the funds. 20 CFR §
416.714; WAC 388-418-0007. You should
report in writing and keep a copy (with a
date stamp from the agency). For HUD or
tribal housing programs, follow your
housing authority policies regarding when
you must report a change in family income.
24 CFR § 982.516. If you believe the office
is improperly counting these funds, contact
In the Cobell lawsuit, distributions will be
made to individuals after the settlement
agreement has been finalized. Under the
terms of that settlement, those funds will
also not be taxable. For purposes of public
benefits, those funds will also not be
treated as income in the month received or
as a resource for one year after receipt.
2
9214EN – Rev. 03/2014
What if I need legal help?
•
then press 5 to leave a message for
the NAU. You can leave a message
24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We will return your call within two
business days.
The Northwest Justice Project’s
Native American Unit (NAU)
provides free civil (non-criminal)
legal services for Native Americans
who cannot afford a lawyer in
Washington. To reach us, call the
toll-free hotline at (888) 201-1014,
•
Persons 60 and Over: You may call
CLEAR*Sr at 1-888-387-7111,
regardless of income.
This publication provides general information concerning your rights and responsibilities. It is not intended as a
substitute for specific legal advice.
This information is current as of March 2014.
© 2014 Northwest Justice Project — 1-888-201-1014
(Permission for copying and distribution granted to the Alliance for Equal Justice and to individuals for noncommercial use only.
3
3/11/2014
SSA - POMS: SI 00830.853 - Tribal Trust Accounting and Management Settlement Agreements - 02/24/2014
Social Security
Official Social Security Website
MENU
Pro gram Operatio n s Man u al System (POMS)
TN 119 (12-12)
SI 0 0 830 .853 Tr iba l Tr u st Acco u nting a nd
M a na gem ent Settlem ent Agr eem ents
A. Back gro u n d o n th e Tribal Tru st Acco u n tin g an d Man agem en t
Settlem en t
American Indian tribes filed lawsuits alleging that the Federal Government mismanaged monetary
assets and natural resources held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the tribes. On April
11, 2012, several tribes agreed to settle their cases with the Government.
Under these agreements, the Government will pay about $1 billion to the tribes in total. The
amount paid to each tribe varies considerably. Under the agreements, each tribe may decide how
to use the settlement funds and whether to distribute these funds as per capita payments to
individual tribe members. Per capita payments are payments made according to the number of
individuals in a specific group and in which each individual shares equally.
B. Po licy fo r in co m e an d reso u rce exclu sio n
1. For purposes of determining eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicare
Part D Extra Help, we exclude the Tribal Trust Accounting and Management Settlement per
capita payments received by individual tribe members, pursuant to these settlement
agreements from income and resources.
NOTE: For instructions on applying the income and resource exclusions for the Claims
Resolution Act of 2010 (Cobell v. Salazar), refer to SI 00830.852.
2. The resource exclusion also applies to initial purchases made with funds received from these
settlements. However, the resource exclusion does not apply to proceeds from the sale or
conversion of initial purchases or subsequent purchases. For more information on the
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conversion or the sale of a resource, see SI 00815.200.
EXAMPLE: Lisa Madison receives a per capita payment of $7000 from her tribe based on
the Tribal Trust Accounting and Management Lawsuit Settlement Agreement. We exclude
the initial receipt of the per capita payment from income and resources. Lisa purchases a car
with the funds. We also exclude the car as a resource because it is an initial purchase made
with settlement funds. Later, Lisa sells the car to her brother for $3,000. The money she
receives from the sale of the car is not income because it is the conversion of a resource. If
Lisa retains the funds, they are countable as a resource the first moment of the following
month.
C. D o cu m en tin g th e receipt o f settlem en t fu n ds fo r SSI
If an applicant or recipient reports receipt of a per capita payment pursuant to a Tribal Trust
Accounting and Management Settlement, explain that the payment does not affect eligibility for
SSI.
1. Documenting the allegation on a Report of Contact (DROC) screen
Identify and document the following:
the settlement fund;
the amount of the per capita payment;
the date of receipt;
the status of the funds (retained as cash, in a financial account, or used for an initial
purchase); and
that the Tribal Trust Accounting and Management Settlement payment is excludable from
income and resources.
EXAMPLE of DROC input: “The recipient reported receipt of $5,000 from the (name of tribe) Tribal
Trust Accounting and Management Settlement on May 10, 2012. The recipient deposited the per
capita payment into his or her savings account. This payment is excludable from income and
resources.”
2. Documenting an initial purchase with settlement money within MSSICS
Document the value and exclusion amount of an initial purchase on the appropriate MSSICS
screen (e.g., RFIA, RVEH). This documentation will be helpful for determining if the resource
exclusion applies, if the recipient later reports making a purchase with settlement funds. For
example, documentation of a vehicle on the RVEH screen would indicate whether the recipient
https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0500830853
already made an initial purchase
with settlement funds.
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already made an initial purchase with settlement funds.
D . Tribes w ith settlem en t agreem en ts
The following is a list of the tribes with settlement agreements (Names appear on this list as they
appear on the settlement agreement.)
Ak-Chin Indian Community
*Arapaho Indian Tribe of the Wind River Reservation (Northern Arapaho Tribe)
Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation
*Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Bad River Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa Indians of the Bad River Reservation
Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation
*Bois Forte Band of Chippewa (Bois Forte Band Nett Lake), a component of the Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe)
*Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Rancheria (Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun
Indians of the Colusa Indian Community of Colusa Rancheria)
Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation
Cheyenne River Sioux.
Coeur d’Alene Tribe
Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
*Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon)
Crow Creek Sioux
Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
Hoopa Valley Tribe
*Hualapai Tribe (Hualapai Indian Tribe of the Hualapai Indian Reservation)
Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska
*Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of Arizona (Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of the Kaibab
https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0500830853
Indian Reservation)
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Indian Reservation)
Kaw Nation of Oklahoma
*Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas (Kickapoo Tribe of Indians of the Kickapoo Reservation in
Kansas)
*Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Lac Courte Oreilles Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin)
*Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake
Superior Chippewa Indians of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin)
*Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe (Leech Lake Band of Chippewa Indians or Leech Lake Band of
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe)
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Indian Reservation
Mescalero Apache Nation
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Nez Perce Tribe
Native Village of Atka
*Nooksack Indian Tribe (Nooksack Tribe and Nooksack Indian Tribe of Washington)
Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Indians
Northwestern Band of Shoshone Indians
Oglala Sioux Tribe
Omaha Tribe of Nebraska
Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma
Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony
Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation
Pueblo of Zia
Pueblo of Laguna
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Qawalangin Tribe
Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
*Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians (Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Rincon
Reservation)
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
Round Valley Tribes
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
Samish Indian Nation
*Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska (Santee Sioux Nation)
*Sault Ste. Marie Tribe (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Michigan)
Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation
*Shoshone Indian Tribe of the Wind River Reservation (Eastern Shoshone Tribe)
Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians
Spirit Lake Dakotah Nation (Spirit Lake Tribe)
*Spokane Tribe of Indians (Spokane Tribe of the Spokane Reservation)
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians
Summit Lake Paiute Tribe
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians
Tlingit and Haida Tribes of Alaska
Tohono O’odham Nation
Tonkawa Tribe.
Tulalip Tribes
*Tule River Indian Tribe (Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation)
Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah
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and Ouray Reservation
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Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation
*Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation)
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska Reservation
Yurok Tribe
*The tribe has more than one name according to the settlement agreement. Additional names are
within the parenthesis.
E. Referen ces
SI 00830.830 Indian-Related Exclusions
SI 00815.200 Conversion or Sale of a Resource
SI 00830.852 The Claims Resolution Act of 2010 (Cobell v. Salazar)
SI 01130.700 Identifying Excluded Funds That Have Been Commingled With Non-Excluded
Funds
To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0500830853
SI 00830.853 - Tribal Trust Accounting and Management Settlement
Agreements - 02/24/2014
Batch run: 02/24/2014
Rev:02/24/2014
https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0500830853
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Per Capita Payments from Proceeds of Settlements of Indian Tribal Trust Cases
Notice 2013-1
ADDITIONAL SETTLEMENTS
Notice 2012-60, 2012-41 I.R.B. 455, provides guidance on federal tax treatment
of certain per capita payments made to members of Indian tribes. Since publication of
Notice 2012-60, six additional tribes – Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska, Tlingit & Haida
Tribes of Alaska, Northwestern Band of Shoshone Indians, Hoopa Valley Tribe, the AkChin Indian Community, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe – have reached tribal trust case
settlements with the United States and have been included in the Appendix.
PURPOSE
This notice provides guidance concerning the federal income tax treatment of per
capita payments that members of Indian tribes receive from proceeds of certain
settlements of tribal trust cases between the United States and those Indian tribes.
BACKGROUND
The United States has entered into settlement agreements with the federally
recognized Indian tribes listed in the Appendix to this notice, settling litigation in which
the tribes allege that the Department of the Interior and the Department of the Treasury
mismanaged monetary assets and natural resources the United States holds in trust for
the benefit of the tribes (“Tribal Trust cases”). Upon receiving the settlement proceeds,
the tribes will dismiss their claims with prejudice. See Press Release, U.S. Department
of Justice, Attorney General Holder and Secretary Salazar Announce $1 Billion
Settlement of Tribal Trust Accounting and Management Lawsuits Filed by More Than 40
Tribes (April 11, 2012) at http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/April/12-ag-460.html. The
United States foresees the possibility of future substantially similar settlements of
substantially similar claims brought by other federally recognized Indian tribes.
-2Most of the Indian tribes that have reached Tribal Trust case settlements with the
United States have directed that the settlement proceeds be transferred to accounts at
private banks or other third-party institutions, where the proceeds will be invested until
the tribes use the funds for various purposes, which may include making per capita
payments to their members. Other Indian tribes have directed that all or part of the
settlement proceeds be paid into a trust account established or maintained by the
Secretary of the Interior, through the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians,
for the benefit of the tribes, until the tribes provide instructions for the disposition of the
funds, which may include making per capita payments to their members.
Although agreeing to settlements, the United States admits no liability in the
Tribal Trust case settlements and the government has no fiduciary responsibilities over
the Tribal Trust case settlement proceeds that the tribes receive and that are deposited
into accounts at private banks or other third-party institutions.
CONSULTATION
Several tribes and other affiliated organizations requested direct consultation on
the income tax treatment of per capita payments from the Tribal Trust case settlements.
In response to these requests and in the spirit of Executive Order 13175, direct
consultation and communication occurred. These consultations and conversations
were extremely useful in preparing this notice.
APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF LAW
Section 61(a) of the Internal Revenue Code provides that, except as otherwise
provided by law, gross income means all income from whatever source derived. Under
§ 61, Congress intends to tax all gains and undeniable accessions to wealth, clearly
realized, over which taxpayers have complete dominion. Commissioner v. Glenshaw
Glass Co., 348 U.S. 426 (1955), 1955-1 C.B. 207. Indians are citizens subject to the
payment of income taxes. Squire v. Capoeman, 351 U.S. 1, 6 (1956), 1956-1 C.B. 605.
-3The Per Capita Act, Pub. L. No. 98-64, 97 Stat. 365, 25 U.S.C. §§ 117a through
117c, provides authority to Indian tribes to make per capita payments to Indians out of
tribal trust revenue. Under 25 U.S.C. § 117a, funds held in trust by the Secretary of the
Interior for an Indian tribe that are to be distributed per capita to members of that tribe
may be distributed by either the Secretary of the Interior or, at the request of the
governing body of the tribe and subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior,
the tribe.
The Indian Tribal Judgment Funds Use or Distribution Act, 25 U.S.C. §§ 1401
through 1408, concerns the distribution of certain judgment funds to Indian tribes.
Under 25 U.S.C. § 117b(a), funds distributed under 25 U.S.C. § 117a are subject to the
provisions of 25 U.S.C. § 1407. Under 25 U.S.C. § 1407, the funds described in that
section, and all interest and investment income accrued on the funds while held in trust,
are not subject to federal income taxes. See also H.R. Rep. No. 98-230 at 3 (1983),
which provides that per capita distributions of tribal trust revenue “shall be subject to the
provisions of [25 U.S.C. § 1407] with respect to tax exemptions.”
To determine the federal income tax treatment of per capita payments from Tribal
Trust case settlement proceeds, “the test is not whether the action was one in tort or
contract, but rather the question to be asked is ‘In lieu of what were the damages
awarded?’” See Raytheon Production Corp. v. Commissioner, 144 F.2d 110, 113 (1st
Cir. 1944), aff’g 1 T.C. 952 (1943). The fact that a suit ends in a compromise settlement
does not change the nature of the recovery; the determining factor is the nature of the
underlying claim. Raytheon Production Corp. at 114. Therefore, although the United
States admits no liability in the Tribal Trust cases, Raytheon Production Corp. requires
an examination of the underlying claims asserted by the tribes. The Tribal Trust case
settlements described in this notice resolve claims, in relevant part, that the Department
of the Interior and the Department of the Treasury mismanaged trust accounts, lands,
-4and natural resources. The tribes assert that, absent this mismanagement of their trust
funds and resources, their government-administered trust fund accounts would have
substantially larger balances. See 25 C.F.R. §§ 115.002 and 115.702 (which define the
trust fund accounts maintained and held by the Secretary of the Interior for federally
recognized tribes and the types of payments that must be accepted into the trust
account, which include those resulting from use of trust lands or restricted fee lands or
trust resources when paid directly to the Secretary of the Interior on behalf of the tribal
account holder). The settlement proceeds from the Tribal Trust cases must be viewed
as being in lieu of amounts that would have been held in a trust fund account for the
tribe that is maintained by the Secretary of the Interior. Consequently, for federal
income tax purposes, per capita payments that an Indian tribe makes from the tribe’s
Tribal Trust case settlement proceeds are treated the same as per capita payments
from funds held in trust by the Secretary of the Interior under 25 U.S.C. § 117a. See
Raytheon Production Corp. at 113-114; see also 25 U.S.C. § 1407 and H.R. Rep. No.
98-230 at 3 (1983).
FEDERAL INCOME TAX TREATMENT
Under 25 U.S.C. § 117b(a), per capita payments made from the proceeds of an
agreement between the United States and an Indian tribe settling the tribe’s claims that
the United States mismanaged monetary assets and natural resources held in trust for
the benefit of the tribe by the Secretary of the Interior are excluded from the gross
income of the members of the tribe receiving the per capita payments. Per capita
payments that exceed the amount of the Tribal Trust case settlement proceeds and that
are made from an Indian tribe’s private bank account in which the tribe has deposited
the settlement proceeds are included in the gross income of the members of the tribe
receiving the per capita payments under § 61. For example, if an Indian tribe receives
proceeds under a settlement agreement, invests the proceeds in a private bank account
-5that earns interest, and subsequently distributes the entire amount of the bank account
as per capita payments, then a member of the tribe excludes from gross income that
portion of the member’s per capita payment attributable to the settlement proceeds and
must include the remaining portion of the per capita payment in gross income.
LIMITATION
This notice applies only to per capita payments from proceeds of the Tribal Trust
case settlements that are described in this notice and that the United States has
entered into with the Indian tribes listed in the Appendix to this notice or to proceeds of
Tribal Trust case settlements that are subsequently identified as being subject to this
notice on the Indian Tribal Governments page on the Internal Revenue Service website,
www.irs.gov. The federal income tax treatment of other per capita payments made by
the Secretary of the Interior or Indian tribes to members of Indian tribes is outside the
scope of this notice and may be addressed in future guidance.
EFFECT ON OTHER DOCUMENTS
Notice 2012-60, 2012-41 I.R.B. 445, is superseded.
DRAFTING INFORMATION
The principal author of this notice is Sheldon Iskow of the Office of Associate
Chief Counsel (Income Tax & Accounting). For further information, please contact Mr.
Iskow at (202) 622-4920 (not a toll-free call).
Appendix
Tribes That Have Entered into Settlement Agreements of Tribal Trust Cases
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation
Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Rancheria
Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation
Coeur d’Alene Tribe
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
-610.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe
Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
Hualapai Indian Tribe
Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska
Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of Arizona
Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas
Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Reservation
Mescalero Apache Tribe
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Nez Perce Tribe
Nooksack Indian Tribe
Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Indians
Omaha Tribe o Nebraska
Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine
Pawnee Nation
Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation
Pueblo of Zia
Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Reservation
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Rincon Luiseño Band of Indians
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
Round Valley Indian Tribes
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation
Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians
Spirit Lake Dakotah Nation
Spokane Tribe of Indians
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians
Summit Lake Paiute Tribe
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians
Tohono O’odham Nation
Tulalip Tribes
Tule River Indian Tribe
Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska
-757.
58.
59.
60.
61.
Tlingit & Haida Tribes of Alaska
Northwestern Band of Shoshone Indians
Hoopa Valley Tribe
Ak-Chin Indian Community
Oglala Sioux Tribe
Per Capita Payments from Proceeds of Settlements of Indian Tribal Trust Cases
Notice 2013-55
BACKGROUND
Notice 2013-1, 2013-3 IRB 281, provides guidance on the federal tax treatment
of per capita payments that members of Indian tribes receive from proceeds of certain
settlements of tribal trust cases between the United States and those Indian tribes.
Additional tribes have settled tribal trust cases against the United States since
publication of Notice 2013-1. This notice provides an updated Appendix that reflects the
additional settlement agreements.
EFFECT ON OTHER DOCUMENTS
Notice 2013-1 Appendix is modified and superseded.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information regarding this notice, please contact Telly Meier at phone
number (202) 317-8494(not a toll-free call).
Appendix
Tribes That Have Entered into Settlement Agreements of Tribal Trust Cases
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation
Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Rancheria
Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation
Coeur d’Alene Tribe
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe
Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
Hualapai Indian Tribe
Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska
Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of Arizona
-217.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas
Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Reservation
Mescalero Apache Tribe
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
Nez Perce Tribe
Nooksack Indian Tribe
Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Indians
Omaha Tribe o Nebraska
Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine
Pawnee Nation
Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation
Pueblo of Zia
Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Reservation
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Rincon Luiseño Band of Indians
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
Round Valley Indian Tribes
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation
Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians
Spirit Lake Dakotah Nation
Spokane Tribe of Indians
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians
Summit Lake Paiute Tribe
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians
Tohono O’odham Nation
Tulalip Tribes
Tule River Indian Tribe
Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska
Tlingit & Haida Tribes of Alaska
Northwestern Band of Shoshone Indians
Hoopa Valley Tribe
Ak-Chin Indian Community
Oglala Sioux Tribe
Yoruk Tribe
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
-364.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony
Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma
Samish Indian Nation
Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma
Yakama Nation
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Public and Indian Housing
_____________________________________________________________________________
Special Attention of:
Notice PIH 2013-30
All HUD Recipients
Issued: December 17, 2013
Expires: Effective until Amended,
Superseded, or Rescinded
Cross Reference(s): 24 CFR 5.609;
Office of Native Americans (ONAP),
Program Guidance 2013-05(R)
________________________________________________________
1. Subject: Exclusion from Income of Payments under Recent Tribal Trust Settlements
2. Purpose: The purpose of this notice is to provide guidance to PHAs, Indian tribes, tribally
designated housing entities (TDHE), and other recipients of HUD programs on the treatment of
certain trust settlement payments recently received by members of Indian tribes. This Notice
covers how PHAs, Indian tribes, TDHEs, and other recipients of HUD programs should treat
settlement payments received pursuant to the settlement in the case entitled Elouise Cobell et al.
v. Ken Salazar et al. (Cobell Settlement). This Notice also provides guidance on the exclusion of
payments received pursuant to a number of other recent Tribal Trust Settlements with Indian
tribes.
3. Background: Recently, the United States settled a number of lawsuits filed by individual
tribal members and Indian tribes. These settlements have resulted in some Indian families
receiving monetary payments. On May 6, 2013, the Office of Native American Programs issued
Program Guidance (Recipient) 2013-05, which explained how to calculate annual income and
determine program eligibility under the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program. Since
that time, recipients of other HUD programs have questioned how these payments should be
counted for purposes of calculating a family’s annual income under other HUD programs that,
similar to the IHBG program, adopt the definitions of annual income found in 24 CFR § 5.609,
the Census Long Form, or the IRS Form 1040.
Generally, per capita payments received by tribal members in excess of the first $2,000 of per
capita shares are included in a family’s annual income for purposes of determining eligibility.
However, as explained below, payments under the Cobell Settlement, and certain per capita
payments under the recent Tribal Trust Settlements, must be excluded from annual income in
HUD programs that adopt the definitions of annual income in 24 CFR § 5.609, the Census Long
Form, and the IRS Form 1040.
Note: A payment received by a tribal member from the tribe for distribution of Indian gaming
profits is not a per capita payment within the meaning of the Per Capita Distribution Act and
does not qualify for income exclusion. If a tribal member receives the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) Form 1099-Misc, Miscellaneous Income, from the tribe for reporting Indian gaming
profits, this payment must be counted towards a family’s annual income.
4. Per Capita Payments and Recent Trust Case Settlements:
Cobell Settlement: In Elouise Cobell et al. v. Ken Salazar et al., a class of individual members
of Indian tribes filed suit against the United States for its failure to adequately manage certain
trust assets. The settlement was authorized pursuant to the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 (Pub.
L. 111–291). In accordance with the Act, lump sum or periodic payments received by an
individual Indian under the Cobell Settlement are statutorily excluded from counting towards a
family’s annual income, or as a resource, for purposes of determining initial eligibility or level of
HUD assistance, for a period of one year from the time of receipt of that payment. This
exclusion from income applies to all HUD programs. This exclusion is also included in the
attached list of Federally Mandated Exclusions from Annual Income that HUD periodically
publishes in the Federal Register. The exclusions are listed in the Attachment to this Notice and
are also available at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-12-14/pdf/2012-30210.pdf
Note: For a more extensive list of federally mandated exclusions specific to Indian families,
please refer to the following comprehensive list compiled in 2011 by the United States
Department of Agriculture:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/fdpir/Excluded_Native_American_Funds_2011.pdf
Tribal Trust Settlements: In addition to the Cobell Settlement, the United States recently
entered into settlements with a number of federally recognized Indian tribes, settling litigation in
which the tribes alleged that the Department of the Interior and the Department of the Treasury
mismanaged monetary assets and natural resources the United States holds in trust for the benefit
of the tribes. In some circumstances, proceeds from these settlements have resulted, or will
result in, per capita payments being provided to Indian families by Indian tribes.
Unlike payments under the Cobell Settlement, Congress did not enact a law that provided for a
separate statutory exclusion for these payments. However, PHAs, Indian tribes, TDHEs, and
other HUD recipients that apply the definitions of annual income in 24 CFR § 5.609, the Census
Long Form, or the IRS Form 1040, should note that per capita payments received from these
Tribal Trust Settlements may also be excluded from a family’s annual income if they fall under
one of the exclusions from annual income found in these definitions. For example, under 24
CFR § 5.609(c), nonrecurring or lump sum per capita payments made to tribal members may be
excluded as “lump sum additions” to a family’s assets, or as excluded “temporary, nonrecurring
or sporadic income.”
On January 14, 2013, the IRS issued IRS Notice 2013-1, which is available at:
http://www.irs.gov/irb/2013-03_IRB/ar08.html, and is entitled “Per Capita Payments from
Proceeds of Settlements of Indian Tribal Trust Cases.” The Notice clarifies that, under 25 U.S.C.
§117b(a), per capita payments made from the proceeds of these Tribal Trust Settlements are
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excluded from the gross income of the members of the tribe receiving the per capita payments.
Therefore, all recipients that adopt the IRS Form 1040 definition of annual income should
exclude payments from these Tribal Trust Settlements from a family’s annual income.
This IRS Notice provides some additional limitations. For instance, per capita payments that
exceed the amount of the Tribal Trust Settlement proceeds and that are made from an Indian
tribe’s private bank account in which the tribe has deposited the settlement proceeds are included
in the gross income of the members of the tribe receiving the per capita payments. The IRS
periodically publishes an updated list of Indian tribes that have entered into these Tribal Trust
Settlements with the United States. See IRS Notice 2013-55, available at:
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-13-55.pdf. PHAs, Indian tribes and TDHEs, and other HUD
recipients should note that to date, at least 70 Indian tribes have settled Tribal Trust cases.
For questions on how to calculate these payments under HUD programs, please contact your
local HUD field office. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access their field office
via TTY by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
_____________/s/___________________
Sandra B. Henriquez, Assistant Secretary
for Public and Indian Housing
Attachment
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Attachment
Federally Mandated Exclusions from Annual Income
The following is a list of benefits that currently qualify for income exclusion:
1. The value of the allotment provided to an eligible household under the Food Stamp Act of
1977 (7 U.S.C. 2017(b))
2. Payments to Volunteers under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C.
5044(f)(1), 5058)
3. Certain payments received under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1626(c))
4. Income derived from certain sub marginal land of the United States that is held in trust for
certain Indian tribes (25 U.S.C. 459e)
5. Payments or allowances made under the Department of Health and Human Services’ LowIncome Home Energy Assistance Program (42 U.S.C. 8624(f))
6. Income derived from the disposition of funds to the Grand River Band of Ottawa Indians (Pub.
L. 94–540, section 6)
7. The first $2000 of per capita shares received from judgment funds awarded by the Indian
Claims Commission or the U.S. Claims Court, and the interests of individual Indians in trust or
restricted lands, and the first $2000 per year of income received by individual Indians from
funds derived from interests held in such trust or restricted lands (25 U.S.C. 1407-1408)
Please note the recipient may need to examine certain per capita shares to determine
whether the proceeds are covered by this provision, such as bingo and gambling
proceeds. Although some gaming funds are called “per capita payments”, the National
Indian Gaming Commission’s General Counsel and the Solicitor’s office of the
Department of the Interior confirmed that the proceeds of gaming operations regulated
by the Commission are not funds that are held in trust by the Secretary for the benefit of
an Indian tribe, therefore, they do not qualify as per capita payments within the meaning
of the Per Capita Distribution Act.
Also, if a tribal member receives the Form 1099-Misc, Miscellaneous Income, from the
tribe for reporting Indian gaming profits, this payment does not qualify for this provision.
These gaming profits are income that must be included as annual income as defined by
HUD’s Section 8 Program, the Census, and the IRS. Further, the tribal member must
report this miscellaneous income on the “other income” line of the Federal Income tax
1040 Form;
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8. Amounts of scholarships funded under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1070), including awards under federal work-study programs or under the Bureau of Indian
Affairs student assistance programs (20 U.S.C. 1087uu).
9. Payments received from programs funded under title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965
(42 U.S.C. 3056g).
10. Payments received on or after January 1, 1989, from the Agent Orange Settlement Fund (Pub.
L. 101–201) or any other fund established pursuant to the settlement in In Re Agent Orange
Liability Litigation, M.D.L. No. 381 (E.D.N.Y.).
11. Payments received under the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96–420, 25
U.S.C. 1721).
12. The value of any child care provided or arranged (or any amount received as payment for such
care or reimbursement for costs incurred for such care) under the Child Care and Development
Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858q).
13. Payments by the Indian Claims Commission to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of Yakima
Indian Nation or the Apache Tribe of Mescalero Reservation (Pub. L. 95–433).
14. Allowances, earnings and payments to AmeriCorps participants under the National and
Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12637(d)).
15. Any amount of crime victim compensation (under the Victims of Crime Act) received through
crime victim assistance (or payment or reimbursement of the cost of such assistance) as
determined under the Victims of Crime Act because of the commission of a crime against the
applicant under the Victims of Crime Act (42 U.S.C. 10602(c)).
16. Allowances, earnings and payments to individuals participating in programs under the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2931(a)(2)).
17. Any amount received under the Richard B. Russell School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.1760(e)) and
the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1780(b)), including reduced-price lunches and food
under the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
18. Payments, funds, or distributions authorized, established, or directed by the Seneca Nation
Settlement Act of 1990 (25 U.S.C. 1774f(b)).
19. Payments from any deferred Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits that are
received in a lump sum amount or in prospective monthly amounts as provided by an
amendment to the definition of annual income in the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437A) by section 2608 of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110–
289). This exclusion will apply when an HUD recipient adopts the Section 8 definition of
annual income.
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20. A lump sum or a periodic payment received by an individual Indian pursuant to the Class
Action Settlement Agreement in the case entitled Elouise Cobell et al. v. Ken Salazar et al.,
816 F. Supp. 2d 10 (Oct. 5, 2011 D.D.C.), as provided in the Claims Resolution Act of 2010
(Pub. L. 111–291). This exclusion will apply for one year from the time that payment is
received.
21. Major disaster and emergency assistance received by individuals and families under the Robert
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Pub. L. 93–288, as amended)
comparable disaster assistance provided by States, local governments, and disaster assistance
organizations shall not be considered as income or a resource when determining eligibility for
or benefit levels under federally funded income assistance or resource-tested benefit programs
(42 U.S.C. 5155(d)).
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