HCC §2-264
What happens if you don't pay your tax on time
Read the official text at hawaiicounty.gov ↗If you don't pay your tax, the county will guess what you owe and charge you. You can fight the guess in an appeal, but you must prove it's wrong. The county has three years to assess your tax, unless a special rule applies.
The ordinance, as written (Hawaiʻi County) — Assessment of tax for failure to make payment; limitation
A copy, taken August 21, 2026. The version published by Hawaiʻi County is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.
period; exceptions; extension by agreement. (a) If any taxpayer fails to make payment as required by this article, the director or designee shall estimate the tax liability of the taxpayer from any information the director or designee obtains, and according to the estimate, assess the taxes, interest, and penalty due to the County from the taxpayer, give notice of the assessment to the taxpayer, and make demand upon the taxpayer for payment. The assessment shall be presumed correct unless, upon an appeal duly taken, the contrary is proved by the taxpayer assessed. The burden of proof on appeal to disprove the correctness of assessment shall be on the taxpayer assessed. (b) The director or designee shall cause the payment to be examined and may conduct further audits or investigations as the director or designee considers necessary. If the director or designee determines that there is a deficiency in the payment of any tax due under this article, the director or designee shall assess the taxes and interest due the County, give notice of the assessment to the taxpayers liable, and make demand upon the taxpayers for payment. (c) Except as provided by this section, the amount of taxes imposed by this article shall be assessed or levied within three years of the due date prescribed for the submission of payment. Without an assessment, no proceeding in court for the collection of any of the taxes may be commenced after the expiration of the period. Where the assessment of the tax imposed by this article has occurred within the applicable period of limitation, the tax may be collected by levy or by a proceeding in court. Unless otherwise provided in this article or rule adopted by the director, the limitation period for collecting the County transient accommodations tax shall be suspended for any period set forth in chapter 237D, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes. (2021, ord 21-89, sec 2.) 2-264 SUPP. 11 (1-2022) 2-112 ADMINISTRATION § 2-265
Published by the County of Hawaiʻi Office of the County Clerk.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.