UBC Launches Indigenous Finance Guidelines and Spend Category for Status Indian Individuals on Reserve

The Indigenous Research Support Initiative (IRSI) has worked with the support and advocacy of advisory groups, units and portfolios at UBC, as well as Indigenous Elders and partners, to develop new Indigenous Finance Guidelines.

The Guidelines review current payment practices at UBC and highlight some of the disparities in standard processes for the disbursement of funds to Indigenous partners. The Guidelines also describe the alternative, flexible payment process piloted by IRSI and conclude with a recommended financial process for wider adoption at UBC — including a table of payment guidelines for respectful engagement with Indigenous Peoples.

Read more and review the Guidelines on the IRSI website.

New Spend Category: Payments to Status Indian Individuals on Reserve

When activities in the Guidelines are conducted on a reserve by Status Indian individuals, payments are exempt from Canadian income tax — however the payment must still be reported on a T4A if the total exceeds $500 during the calendar year.

Based on feedback from community partners, IRSI has worked with UBC’s Tax Manager and the Integrated Service Centre to create a “spend category” in the Workday system that will allow for the accurate recording and processing of these payments, which should lead to a better, more streamlined experience for service providers to receive payment, and a lower recycle rate on non-Payroll-related T4A forms. This "spend category" is titled “Status Indian (on reserve)”.

Read more about the spend category on the UBC Finance website.