POPULATION: 1,288,198 (July 2008)
LABOR FORCE: 649,100 (2007)
RIGHT TO WORK: No
TRADITIONAL INDUSTRIES: Tourism, federal activity (defenseand
nondefense-related activity),
agricultural products
EXPANDING INDUSTRIES: Clean/renewable energy, high technology,
biotechnology, environmental
remediation technology,
resort architecture and engineering,
retail, film and television production,
ocean science and technology,
seafood, diversified agriculture,
sports, education and training,
health and fitness services
COLLEGE GRADUATES: (Age 25 and over) 29.7% (2006)
BASIC BUSINESS TAXES:
Corporate Income Tax: 4.4 percent
on first $25,000 of taxable income;
5.4 percent on income over
$25,000 but not over $100,000;
6.4 percent on amount over
$100,000 of taxable income
Corporate Organization and
Qualification Fees: $50 for filing
articles of incorporation for in-state
corporation or out-of-state corporation
registration ($75 for expedited
processing)
General Excise (Sales) and Use Tax:
Rate ranges from 0.5 percent to
4 percent of the value of gross
income according to type of business;
4 percent on retail sales of
goods and services (except those
exported); 0.5 percent on manufacturing
or wholesaling (except for
exported goods and services).
Effective Jan. 1, 2007, activities
with a business purpose on the
island of Oahu which are subject
to the 4 percent GET rate are also
subject to an additional 0.5 percent
tax for the City and County of
Honolulu's mass transit system.
Property Tax: Real property tax
rates are set and collected by the
four counties; commercial rate is
$12.40 per $1,000 valuation in the
City and County of Honolulu; $9.00
per $1,000 valuation on land in
Hawaii County; $6.90 per $1,000
valuation on land in Kauai County;
and $6.25 per $1,000 valuation on
land in Maui County; property
assessed at 100 percent of fair
market value; no tax on personal
property
BUSINESS INCENTIVES
Hawaii Enterprise Zones Program
(excise and income tax incentives)
Hawaii Strategic Development
Corporation (venture capital)
High-Technology Development
Corporation (incubator facilities
and technology development)
NELHA (incubator facility in ocean
and marine-related products)
Community-Based Economic
Development Program (grants and
loans for non-profit communitybased
organizations)
Business Action Center (one-stop
license and business registration)
Small Business Development
Centers (federal business counseling
program)
Foreign-trade zones (export
assistance)
Investor tax incentives for new
high-technology companies
Immigrant Investor Program
(residency and immigration
incentives)
