Small Business

... Allegations of Misconduct at the Honolulu Flight Standards District Office ....

... Developments during this COVID crisis have brought out tax scofflaws in some of the most unexpected ways ....

... Rounding out the top ten of most active companies were a series of Chinese corporations and one U.S. corporation based out of Hawaii. Two other key figures in the top ten list were Sajo Group and Dongwon, two Korean companies that own the United States subsidiary Starkist ....

... Hawaii ranks 25th ....

... The first problem is that some people think that the letter comes from a government agency. It doesn’t ....

... Hawaii’s unemployment insurance system has become a ticking time bomb that threatens Hawaii’s fiscal future. ... 

"...The Maui District Health Office reported that numerous positive cases are tied to close interactions among patrons in bar settings...."

... Hawaii’s unemployment insurance system is in crisis, with stalled payments, rampant fraud, and massive debt leading to higher taxes ....

... Business leaders, legislators urge Gov. Ige to walk back changes to travel plan ....

... Michael Dell wants to see pretty fish when he comes to Kailua-Kona ....

... NCRS will analyze the hardship the business community across the country is facing and the impact commercial rent is having on their operations heading into 2021 ....

...the looming massive increase in the state’s unemployment insurance tax....

... Under the agreement, Airbnb will create two new fields on its listing—one for the City-issued Tax Map Key (TMK) number and another for the Transient Accommodations Tax License Number (TAT) ....

...When businesses across the state are fighting for their lives, the state is about to levy an enormous hike in the unemployment tax.... 

“Just when you thought we’re sort of getting back to some system of normalcy — not the case!”

...Failure to address the legally required increase could discourage employers from hiring back employees after the lockdowns....

...Insider holds and presales reduce the number of tickets available to the general public and restrict accessibility for local residents....

... Ranking Corporate Income Taxes on the 2021 State Business Tax Climate Index ....

...three management companies have been identified that could take over airport administration from the Department of Transportation....

... Personal Services prepare to re-open, hoping Mayor's Tier 2 proposal is approved by Thursday ....

...$25M in financial and training support....

...Closed local businesses feel discriminated against, seek to clear up misunderstanding....

... Hawaii has a throwback rule ....

... Prior to COVID-19, our respondents reported a roughly 4% vacancy rate .... In August, however, this number jumped to 9% ....

...Tier 1 includes, but is not limited to, the following changes....

...state and local governments may be breathing a sigh of relief: thanks to this order, the feds have just stepped up to be the defendant in takings lawsuits and to be on the financial hook for any judgments for eviction moratoria (at least in those jurisdictions that have not adopted more protective restrictions)....

...On July 31, 2020, Governor Ige returned SB126 with line item vetoes. Of the $321,000,000 that was struck from the bill the Governor intends to utilize the funding for the following priorities....

...DoH is too busy to respond to the State Auditor and too busy to organize contact tracing because they are working real estate deals on State time with the Board and Care home operators they regulate.  And their union wants them to be paid to 'work' from home again....

...Ige has approved Honolulu’s Emergency Order No. 2020-25, reinstating a “Stay at Home/Work from Home” Order for the island of O‘ahu, effective at 12:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 27, through September 9....

...Hawaii’s local businesses have taken the economic brunt of stopping the spread of COVID-19....

...Caldwell said at the news briefing that county and state leaders discussed the modified restrictions for O‘ahu over the past five days, trying to decide whether to use a scalpel or a hammer. “We’ve chosen a scalpel,” Caldwell said....

...With the exception of jobs in information technology and other services, no industry category saw a meaningful increase from the devastating April 2020 job numbers....

...employers are likely to be hit with a significant and automatic rate increase at the end of this year....

... more than 16,000 jobs are available across the state. Top positions included retail salesperson, network and systems administrator and security guard ....

...Through July 14, the department has issued $35,980,789 to imposter fraud claimants....

... Measures address harassment in the workplace and domestic violence ....

...which measures changes in employment and employee wages, monthly revenue and revenue sources, current state of operations and plan for trans-Pacific tourism opening, impact of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and business outlook....

...Pass-through businesses, such as sole proprietorships, S corporations, and partnerships, make up a majority of businesses in the United States....

... On March 10, 2020 Maui County passed Bill 22, signing into law Ordinance 5059 that set the Molokai legal, short term rental cap to zero. This, effectively, canceled the operations of 17 families ....

...unemployment insurance and how it is going to fare after the pandemic....

...Another hemp bill, Senate Bill 1353, was vetoed by Governor Ige last year, after he expressed concerns that it was unenforceable. This year’s version was worked on directly with the Governor's administration to ensure its enactment....

...the Hawaii Legislature should not make a dismal situation worse....

...Food Safety Branch will begin to temporarily suspend the operations of restaurants, bars and other food establishments that do not comply.... 

...Hawaii has the broadest sales tax in the United States, but it taxes many products multiple times and, by one estimate, ultimately taxes 105 percent of the state’s personal income.  This base is far wider than the national median, where the sales tax applies to 34.25 percent of personal income....

...The HPUC perceives the underlying problem as YB management’s inability to control costs and operate an effective service....

"...This will allow local shippers and businesses, especially those on the neighbor islands, to conduct business without worrying about a rate increase at this time....”

...Federal Fishery Managers Weigh-In on Marine National Monument draft plans, COVID-19 Impacts to Fisheries and More....

... Results from a national survey of small-business owners released yesterday ....

...Hawaii AirBnB occupancy rates are running far below those of other US destinations....

...another general excise tax exemption that the State Auditor has put under the microscope....