Locate Hawaii Tax Lawyers
In Hawaii "taxes" are monies taken from persons or corporations by the government, at a rate set by law.
The taxes that Hawaii collects pay for basic public services like roads, firefighters, police, courts, schools, and many other benefits that come with living in a modern society.
Everyone who legally resides in Hawaii is obligated to pay their taxes. If you don't pay the taxes assessed against you, you are committing an egregious criminal offense, punishable by jail time and large fines.
Sources of Tax Revenue in Hawaii
Taxes in Hawaii can be derived from a large number of different sources, and in different amounts. The most frequent sources of tax revenue nationwide are Sales Tax, Income Tax, and Property Tax.
Sales Tax: Most states collect a tax on the sales of goods. In Hawaii, the sales tax is calculated as a percentage of the sale price of most (but normally not all) items. Technically, the tax is assessed against the sellers of goods. But, the vast majority of vendors pass this tax onto their customers, adding it to the marked price of a product at the point of sale.
Income Tax: Everybody in the U.S., including residents of Hawaii, is obligated to pay a federal income tax, assuming they bring in any income. Most states also have a personal income tax, though some states do not. The majority of Americans derive almost all of their income from employment wages. Usually, their federal and (if applicable) state income taxes are deducted from their paychecks. This is beneficial, in that your taxes are paid as you go, and you usually don't have a large tax bill at the end of the year. Depending on one's income, the federal income tax rate can be as low as 10%, or as high as 33%.
Property Tax: Along with mortgage payments, property taxes in Hawaii are one of the largest expenses associated with home ownership. In order to gather property taxes, the state or local government appraises the value of every privately-owned piece of real estate in its jurisdiction. It then collects a particular percentage of that value in taxes. In order to avoid having to pay a large tax bill at the end of each year, most people elect to pay their property taxes in monthly installments.
How Can A Hawaii Tax Lawyer Help?
If you participate in the economy of Hawaii, whether it's by running a business, earning a wage, or owning property, you're likely to have some tax commitments.
In Hawaii, tax law is very difficult. Most tax attorneys actually don't practice any other area of law in Hawaii, which should give you some idea of how involved tax cases can become. If you have a tax question, or are facing an audit on your state or federal taxes, you should not delay to retain a Hawaii tax attorney to help.
Interesting Facts About Hawaii
Hawaii is nicknamed "The Aloha State" and is the newest U.S. state, being added as the 50th state only in the year 1959. The state capitol of Hawaii is Honolulu, one of Hawaii's major cities. Hawaii's state government is unique in that it has several remnants and adaptations carrying over from Hawaii's early kingdom era.
Hawaii laws are mostly the product of its bicameral state legislature, which meets at the State Capitol building, Aliiolani Hale, located in Honolulu. The historic capitol building houses a Judiciary History Center featuring multi-media presentations of several landmark Hawaii legal cases. In 2006, the American Bar Association hosted a mock-trial presentation of the Massie Trial, a famous Honolulu criminal trial dating back to the year 1932.
Unlike other U.S. states, Hawaii does not operate any municipal governments- all localities are administered through the county system. Hawaii's judicial system is composed of the Hawaii State Circuit Courts (the lowest level), followed by an Intermediate Court of Appeals. The Hawaii Supreme Court is the highest court. Hawaii also maintains a few courts focused on specific issues, such as the Hawaii Land Court and the Hawaii State Tax Appeal Court.
Lawyers in Hawaii are well-versed in the laws and legal issues of the state. Hawaii attorneys typically file most of their claims at the Circuit Courts, which have broad jurisdiction over most common legal claims. Hawaii lawyers also process more complex claims and appeals through the Court of Appeals or through the Hawaii Supreme Court.
