Oklahoma State Supreme Court Narrows McGirt in Tax Ruling
OKLAHOMA, JUL 1 – The court ruled 6-3 that the McGirt decision applies only to criminal law, affirming state tax jurisdiction over tribal citizens living and working on reservation land.
- The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled on July 1, 2025, that Muscogee Nation citizen Alicia Stroble must pay state income tax despite living within the reservation boundaries.
- Stroble’s case followed the 2020 McGirt v. Oklahoma decision, but the court clarified that McGirt applies only to criminal law, not state civil or tax matters.
- The court found Stroble lives on privately owned fee land not held in trust or restricted, and affirmed that living on such land does not exempt one from state taxes.
- The court's 6-3 decision upheld the Oklahoma Tax Commission's ruling and clarified that extending the McGirt decision to cover civil and tax issues is not supported by legal precedent.
- This decision confirms tribal members meeting similar criteria must pay state income taxes and indicates the state will resist extending McGirt to create tax exemptions.
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Stitt praises Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling preserving taxes imposed on certain tribal members
Gov. Kevin Stitt explains the new safety guidelines for Oklahoma events developed by an advisory council he led on June 5, 2025 at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice)OKLAHOMA CITY – Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday praised a ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court that said the state can impose income taxes on tribal members living and working on a reservation. Stitt called the 6-3 ruling a big win for the state. “T…
Oklahoma Supreme Court rules tribal citizens living on reservation required to pay state taxes
The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that tribal citizens living within the jurisdiction of tribal reservations outlined in McGirt v. Oklahoma are still required to pay state taxes.
Oklahoma State Supreme Court narrows McGirt in tax ruling
In a case surrounding state taxes, the Oklahoma State Supreme Court ruled against tribal claims and narrowed the scope of the U.S. Supreme Court's McGirt ruling.In December 2020, Alicia Stroble filed three Oklahoma Individual Income Tax Returns for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019 and claimed her income as exempt.In order for her income to be exempt it needed to meet three criteria:must be a tribal membermust live on Indian land to which the membe…
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