There are a number of bills in this year’s Legislature that seek to raise revenue by closing a “loophole” in our General Excise Tax Law. But is it really a loophole? When a wholesaler sells tangible personal property to a … Read More
Litigation is still raging over the extension of our Transient Accommodations Tax to cruise ships in what has been called the “Green Fee” bill. And the Legislature is getting involved as well. In last year’s legislative session, as you may … Read More
We have been writing several pieces about money languishing in special funds. This week we will concentrate on one of them. The University of Hawaii has a special fund for tuition and fees. According to Department Communication 100 submitted to … Read More
In 2024, we in Hawaii became the beneficiaries of Act 46 (House Bill 2404) which the Governor’s office called the “largest income tax cut for working families in the state’s history.” In odd-numbered years up to 2031, the bill jacked … Read More
Earlier this year, we started looking at reports of agencies that have administratively established special funds. We noted some fairly large nest eggs controlled by the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. This week we will … Read More
While our Legislature is busily considering changes to our tax laws, the courts are also helping us work through the laws we already have. There are two Hawaii Supreme Court cases pending that involve fights over the extent to which … Read More
Budget hearings already have begun at our Legislature. Our legislators make sure that the tax money we entrust to them is being spent wisely and efficiently. Or at least that’s what they are supposed to do. To help them do … Read More
Last week, we started looking at reports of agencies that have administratively established special funds. These funds are pots of money that are not created by statute so that only the expending agency, and not necessarily the Legislature (which is … Read More
This year, much of our legislative session is going to be about finding enough money to counter massive cuts in federal funding that we used to depend on. New credits and incentives are going to be a tough sell. We … Read More
Happy New Year! Aloha to the departed 2025 and the 2026 before us! We start our year with a recap of the year behind us and give you a Word Find puzzle with 26 key words and phrases. The new … Read More