Here in Hawaii, we officially have a love-hate relationship with tourism. How do we love it? Look no further than the Hawaii Tourism Authority. The HTA was established through legislation in 1998 (Act 156, Session Laws of Hawaii 1998). The … Read More
Last month, the website money.co.uk published an article giving our Honolulu a claim to international fame (or infamy). It listed the city as having the highest tourist tax of any city in the world. It noted our 10.25% transient accommodations … Read More
A couple of weeks ago, we raised the question of whether lawmakers are looking at businesses and taxpayers as cows to be milked as opposed to constituents to serve. This week, we look at another set of folks who seem … Read More
Once every five years or so, the Hawaii Constitution asks our government officials to put together a Tax Review Commission. Its job is to “conduct a systematic review of the State’s tax structure, using such standards as equity and efficiency.” … Read More
For many years, the counties and the State have been bickering about how much support from the State’s transient accommodations tax (TAT) they should get to help fund county infrastructure. County systems like fire, police, and parks maintenance undeniably help … Read More