David Y. Ige

HONOLULU –  The Department of Taxation (Department) reminds residents and non-residents that the Hawaii individual income tax return is due Monday, April 22, 2019, and the deadline for the federal income tax return is on Monday, April 15, 2019.

Residents will need to file Form N-11 while Non-Residents will need to file Form N-15. If you did business in Hawaii, you will also need to file Form G-49, the Annual Return and  Reconciliation of General Excise/Use Tax.

If you are unable to file your individual income tax return by the April 22, 2019 deadline, you are granted an automatic 6-month extension of time to file. If you are due a refund, you do not need to file a form to request an extension. Just file your return by October 20, 2019.

If you have a balance due, the extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay. You must pay your taxes in full by the April 22, 2019 deadline. File Form N-101A with your tax payment. If you owe taxes on your return, failure to pay by the deadline may result in additional penalties and interest.

We encourage you to electronically file (e-file) your tax return. Taxpayers who e-file reduce delays and speed up processing time, which helps them receive their refunds faster than those who file by paper. You may e-file for a fee using an approved commercial tax preparation software. Taxpayers may also e-file for free using the Department’s online tax filing system, Hawaii Tax Online at https://hitax.hawaii.gov.

Tax forms and instructions are available to view, download and print online at https://tax.hawaii.gov/forms/. Printed tax forms and instructions are available for pick up at all State tax offices. The public libraries also carry printed N-11 and N-15 forms in limited quantities and have printed N-11 instructions available for reference use only.

If you have already filed your individual income tax return and you are expecting a refund, you may check on the status of your refund online at https://tax.hawaii.gov/. Current processing times are 2-4 weeks for e-filed returns, 4-6 weeks for paper returns, and an additional 2 weeks processing time for paper refund checks.

The Department of Taxation encourages taxpayers to be accurate when filing their taxes. Claiming income that was not earned, overstating deductions and falsely claiming credits to fraudulently get a larger refund or owe less tax is illegal. Only claim what you have documentation to support.

Be wary of imposters claiming to be from the IRS or the Department of Taxation who use threats to intimidate and bully people into paying. These are not practices used by government agencies. Stay smart and don’t be a victim of tax scams.

 

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