(a) All tax returns and return information required to be filed under this chapter, and the report of any investigation of the return or of the subject matter of the return, shall be confidential. It shall be unlawful for any person or any officer or employee of the State, including the auditor or the auditor’s agent with regard to tax return information obtained pursuant to section 23-5(a), to intentionally make known information imparted by any tax return or return information filed pursuant to this chapter, or any report of any investigation of the return or of the subject matter of the return, or to wilfully permit any tax return, return information, or report so made, or any copy thereof, to be seen or examined by any person; provided that for surcharge tax purposes only the lessor or tour vehicle operator, the lessor’s or tour vehicle operator’s authorized agent, or persons with a material interest in the return, return information, or report may examine them. Unless otherwise provided by law, persons with a material interest in the return, return information, or report shall include:

Attorney's Note

Under the Hawaii Revised Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class C felonyup to 5 yearsup to $10,000
For details, see Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-660
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Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 251-12

  • Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
  • Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Department: means the department of taxation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 251-1
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Lessor: means any person in the business of providing rental motor vehicles to the public. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 251-1
  • Surcharge tax: means the rental motor vehicle and tour vehicle surcharge tax established under this chapter. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 251-1
  • Tour vehicle: means any vehicle, including vans, minibuses, and buses used for the purpose of transporting persons for pleasure or sightseeing trips, or transporting persons to pleasure or sightseeing cruises or destinations. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 251-1
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • vehicle: means every vehicle which is:

    (1) Self-propelled and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power but which is not operated upon rails which is rented or leased or offered for rent or lease in this State, whether for personal or commercial use, for a period of six months or less; and

    (2) Designed to carry seventeen passengers or fewer. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 251-1

(1) Trustees;
(2) Partners;
(3) Persons named in a board resolution or a one per cent shareholder in the case of a corporate return;
(4) The person authorized to act for a corporation in dissolution;
(5) The shareholder of an S corporation;
(6) The personal representative, trustee, heir, or beneficiary of an estate or trust in the case of the estate’s or decedent‘s return;
(7) The committee, trustee, or guardian of any person in paragraphs (1) through (6) who is incompetent;
(8) The trustee in bankruptcy or receiver, and the attorney-in-fact of any person in paragraphs (1) through (7);
(9) Persons duly authorized by the State in connection with their official duties;
(10) Any duly accredited tax official of the United States or of any state or territory;
(11) The Multistate Tax Commission or its authorized representative; and
(12) Members of a limited liability company.

Any violation of this subsection shall be a class C felony. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the publication of statistics that are classified to prevent the identification of particular reports or returns and the items of the reports or returns.

(b) The department may destroy the monthly, quarterly, or semiannual returns filed pursuant to section 251-4, or any of them, upon the expiration of three years after the end of the calendar or fiscal year in which the surcharge taxes so returned accrued.

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