Taxes

... we cannot afford to further burden our economy with our usual high-tax and high-spending habits ....

... On August 18, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service announced “expansive tax relief” for Hawaii wildfire victims ....

... a family of four earning Hawaii’s median income of $88,005 a year would have a state income tax bill of $5,086. At that income level, only Oregon families face a higher tax burden ....

• waiving property taxes for the affected property owners
• clearing the way for out-of-state medical professionals to attend to the needs of those affected by the tragedy

... Anyone who has paid their taxes will receive a refund ....

... The current DoTax administration has told practitioners that he is more open to settling cases to whittle down the backlog of tax appeals ....

... approving for inclusion in the 2024 Hawaii State Association of Counties legislative package a state bill relating to the county transient accommodations tax ....

... Folks on the Neighbor Islands:  Don’t laugh. You might be next! ....

... 0.5% county surcharge to the state’s 4% general excise tax for the purpose of funding “housing infrastructure” ....

... Multiple bills have already passed, and many council members have asked for more information about how to reform the property tax systems in their counties ....

... increase the tax burden, risk losing nearly 300 jobs for residents and lower economic output in the county by $49 million a year ....

... At the ceremony, the Governor made clear that tax relief, especially for ALICE (asset-limited, income-constrained, employed) families, is still on the table.  There will be a Phase 2, he said, apparently targeting the 2024 legislative session ....

... One reason is higher rates apply early on the income spectrum, so nearly all taxpayers pay higher rates, says a new analysis ....

... cronyism, revenge and retribution -- someone's been sandbagging ....

... Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, hailed the tax break bill as a positive financial benefit for struggling families ....

... all the different layers of taxation on production and distribution make up about 40 percent of the retail price for beer ....

... A proposed 0.5% county surcharge added to the state's 4% rate would jack up the cost of living, cost jobs and harm productivity ....

... businesses in Hawaii are going to be paying $130 million more this year in unemployment taxes than they did last year. That’s a 46% increase ....

... Grassroot Institute “actually proposed 15 model bills this year that were introduced and got one across the finish line, which was the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact” ....

... Hawaii property tax rates thus can be low because the counties that assess and collect them do not have to cover the cost of public schools ....

... This situation has left the owners of many long-term rentals stuck with much higher tax bills ....

... lawmaking continues at the county level ....

... decrease the rates on the first tier of Residential A homes from $4.50 to $4.00 per $1,000 and increase rates on the second tier from $10.50 to $11.40 per $1,000 ....

... SB975, now Act 62, establishes the offense of unlawful shipment of tobacco products ....

... two bills that would improve Hawaii’s economy ....

... increasing taxes on anyone can come with its own set of problems ....

... and State Tax Collections per Capita--Hawaii 4th Highest ....

... If no action is taken, Hawaii businesses will pay about $355 million for 2023, up 46% over last year ....

... the “empty homes” theory is just another distraction from the real cause of Hawaii’s housing crisis, which is regulations that block homebuilding ....

... House Bill 954 would increase the personal exemption from $1,444 to $2,288 beginning with the 2023 tax year and increase the standard deduction ....

... Hawaii property taxes go from 28th worst to 32nd worst in four years ....

... One of the bills in this past legislative session that fell to the cutting room floor when it probably shouldn’t have was Senate Bill 1035, which would have exempted medical services provided by health care providers if the services were paid for by Medicaid, Medicare, or TRICARE ....

... use his line-item veto power to trim back this massive spending overreach, including the $200 million “slush fund” ...

... no meaningful correlation between so-called empty homes and housing or rental prices ....

... Since bad bills tend to outnumber good ones, that means we played a lot of defense ....

... The bill containing the fee proposal, Senate Bill 304, did not survive the conference committee process. ...

... “The budget is increasing by 30% this year,” Kent said, far exceeding last year’s record increase of 17% and breaking the state’s constitutionally mandated spending limit as well, which can be bypassed by a two-thirds vote .... 

... higher property taxes could make homeownership unaffordable for some residents; landlords might have no choice but to increase what they charge their tenants; and businesses might have to raise prices ....

... The Legislature's proposed spending plan for fiscal 2024 could result in a state budget deficit of $45 million by fiscal 2028, if OK'd by the governor ....

... county lawmakers have it in their power to prevent or at least mitigate property tax increases ....

... the Tax Foundation’s 2023 State Business Tax Climate Index ....

... The Tax Relief Shell Game Ends, and Broad-Based Relief Didn’t Make It ....

... it finally became clear which big-ticket items were going to make it to the governor’s desk for signing — or hit the cutting room floor ....

... Grassroot Institute in the news ....

... Making Hawaii’s county property tax systems more simple is the best way Hawaii’s counties can provide tax relief ....

... The overall tax burden in Hawaii, which is a measure of taxes paid as a share of annual income, was 9.2% of the state's income per capita of $60,947, second only to Vermont ....

... Not all of Gov. Josh Green’s proposed tax cuts survived lawmakers’ scrutiny this session, but enough are still alive to be optimistic....

... If Hawaii’s politicians aren’t careful, they might kill the goose that lays the golden egg .... 

... a policy toolkit for county lawmakers seeking to offset spiking property assessments ....

... Each of these factors is influenced directly by state lawmakers through the legislative process ....