TAX NEWS - January 2010

Hawaii Tax: New Deadline for General Excise Tax Returns

HONOLULU — Hawaii Department of Taxation reminds taxpayers of new general excise tax (GET) filing and payment deadlines for periodic returns beginning with returns filed for the January 2010 period. Under a law signed last year (Act 196, Session Laws of Hawaii 2009), the deadline for Hawai'i businesses to file and pay their monthly, quarterly, or semiannual GET returns changes from the last day of the calendar month following the close of the tax period to the 20th day of the calendar month following the close of the tax period.

The following are examples of the advanced filing deadline:

1. Monthly filers filing tax returns for the month of January 2010, must submit tax returns and tax payments by February 20, 2010. (Please note that, since February 20, 2010 is a Saturday, tax filing deadline is the next business day, Monday, February 22, 2010, to avoid tax penalties and interest.)

2. Quarterly filers filing tax returns for the quarter ending March 31, 2010, must submit their tax returns and payments by April 20, 2010.

3. Semiannual filers filing tax returns for the 6-month period ending June 30, 2010, must submit returns and tax payments by July 20, 2010.

"Although the new filing deadline could have applied to returns and payments due after May 2009, its implementation was postponed until 2010 to allow Hawai'i taxpayers more time to transition to the new deadline," said Director of Taxation, Kurt Kawafuchi.

For more information, please see Department of Taxation Announcement No. 2009-11, which is available on the Department's website at www.hawaii.gov/tax.