Hawaii-2018-SB2615-Amended

SECTION 1. Section 237D-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

1. By amending the definition of "gross rental" or "gross rental proceeds" to read:

""Gross rental" or "gross rental proceeds" means the gross [~~receipts,~~] sale or gross charges collected from consumers, including but not limited to booking fees, cleaning fees, lodging fees, transient fees, or any other fees collected, but does not include fees collected for ground transportation, airfare, meals, excursions, tours, or other fees unrelated to the transient accommodations, cash or accrued, of the taxpayer received as compensation for the furnishing of transient accommodations and the value proceeding or accruing from the furnishing of such accommodations without any deductions on account of the cost of property or services sold, the cost of materials used, labor cost, [~~taxes,~~] royalties, interest, discounts, or any other expenses whatsoever. Every taxpayer shall be presumed to be dealing on a cash basis unless the taxpayer proves to the satisfaction of the department of taxation that the taxpayer is dealing on an accrual basis and the taxpayer's books are so kept, or unless the taxpayer employs or is required to employ the accrual basis for the purposes of the tax imposed by chapter 237 for any taxable year in which event the taxpayer shall report the taxpayer's gross income for the purposes of this chapter on the accrual basis for the same period.

The words "gross rental" or "gross rental proceeds" shall not be construed to include the amounts of taxes imposed by chapter 237 or this chapter on operators of transient accommodations or transient accommodation intermediaries and passed on, collected, and received from the consumer as part of the receipts received as compensation for the furnishing of transient accommodations. Where transient accommodations are furnished through arrangements made by a [~~travel agency or tour packager~~] transient accommodations intermediary at noncommissionable negotiated contract rates and the gross income is divided between the operator of transient accommodations on the one hand and the [~~travel agency or tour packager~~] transient accommodations intermediary on the other hand, [~~gross rental or gross rental proceeds to the operator means only the respective portion allocated or distributed to the operator,~~] the tax imposed by this chapter shall apply to each operator and transient accommodations intermediary with respect to that person's respective portion of the proceeds, and no more. For purposes of this definition, where the operator maintains a schedule of rates for identifiable groups of individuals, such as kamaainas, upon which the accommodations are leased, let, or rented, gross rental or gross rental proceeds means the receipts collected and received based upon the scheduled rates and recorded as receipts in its books and records."

2. By amending the definition of "transient accommodations broker" to read:

""Transient accommodations [~~broker"~~] intermediary" means any person or entity, including but not limited to persons who operate or market transient accommodations through travel agencies, tour packagers, wholesale travel companies, online websites, online travel agencies, [or] online booking agencies, or booking platforms, that offers, lists, advertises, or accepts reservations or collects whole or partial payment for transient accommodations or resort time share vacation interests, units, or plans."

SECTION 2. Section 237D-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

"(b) Every operator and every transient accommodations intermediary who arranges transient accommodations at noncommissioned negotiated contract rates shall pay to the State the tax imposed by subsection (a), as provided in this chapter."

SECTION 3. Section 237D-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§237D-4 Certificate of registration. (a) Each operator, transient accommodations intermediary, or plan manager as a condition precedent to engaging or continuing in the business of furnishing transient accommodations or in business as a resort time share vacation plan shall register with the director the name and physical address of each place of business within the State subject to this chapter. The operator or plan manager shall make a one-time payment as follows:

(1) $5 for each registration for transient accommodations consisting of one to five units;

(2) $15 for each registration for transient accommodations consisting of six or more units; and

(3) $15 for each resort time share vacation plan within the State;

upon receipt of which the director shall issue a certificate of registration in such form as the director determines, attesting that the registration has been made. The registration shall not be transferable and shall be valid only for the operator or plan manager in whose name it is issued and for the transaction of business at the place designated therein. Acquisition of additional transient accommodation units after payment of the one-time fee shall not result in additional fees.

(b) The registration, or in lieu thereof a notice stating where the registration may be inspected and examined, shall at all times be conspicuously displayed at the place for which it is issued. The name, phone number, and electronic mail address of the local contact shall at all times be conspicuously displayed in the same place as the registration or the same place as the notice stating where the registration may be inspected and examined. Failure to meet the requirements of this subsection shall be unlawful. The department may issue citations to any person who fails to conspicuously display the registration or notice, or the local contact's name, phone number, or electronic mail address as required by this subsection. A citation issued pursuant to this subsection for each transient accommodation or resort time share vacation interest, plan, or unit in violation of this subsection shall include a monetary fine of not less than:

(1) $500 per day, for a first violation for which a citation is issued;

(2) $1,000 per day, for a second violation for which a citation is issued; and

(3) $5,000 per day, for a third and any subsequent violation for which a citation is issued.

(c) Any advertisement, including an online advertisement, for any transient accommodation or resort time share vacation interest, plan, or unit shall conspicuously provide:

(1) The registration identification number or an electronic link to the registration identification number of the operator or plan manager issued pursuant to this section; and

(2) The local contact's name, phone number, and electronic mail address, provided that this paragraph shall be considered satisfied if this information is provided to the transient or occupant prior to the furnishing of the transient accommodation or resort time share vacation unit.

(d) Failure to meet the requirements of subsection (c) shall be unlawful. The department may issue citations to any person, including operators, plan managers, and transient accommodations [~~brokers,~~] intermediaries, who violates subsection (c). A citation issued pursuant to this subsection for each transient accommodation or resort time share vacation interest, plan, or unit in violation of subsection (c) shall include a monetary fine of not less than:

(1) $500 per day, for a first violation for which a citation is issued;

(2) $1,000 per day, for a second violation for which a citation is issued; and

(3) $5,000 per day, for a third and any subsequent violation for which a citation is issued.

(e) The registration provided for by this section shall be effective until canceled in writing. Any application for the reissuance of a previously canceled registration identification number shall be regarded as a new registration application and shall be subject to the payment of the one-time registration fee. The director may revoke or cancel any license issued under this chapter for cause as provided by rule under chapter 91.

(f) If the license fee is paid, the department shall not refuse to issue a registration or revoke or cancel a registration for the exercise of a privilege protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, or for the carrying on of interstate or foreign commerce, or for any privilege the exercise of which, under the Constitution and laws of the United States, cannot be restrained on account of nonpayment of taxes, nor shall section 237D-14 be invoked to restrain the exercise of such a privilege, or the carrying on of such commerce.

(g) Any person who may lawfully be required by the State, and who is required by this chapter, to register as a condition precedent to engaging or continuing in the business of furnishing transient accommodations or as a plan manager subject to taxation under this chapter, who engages or continues in the business without registering in conformity with this chapter, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Any director, president, secretary, or treasurer of a corporation who permits, aids, or abets such corporation to engage or continue in business without registering in conformity with this chapter, shall likewise be guilty of a misdemeanor. The penalty for the misdemeanors shall be the same as that prescribed by section 231-35 for individuals, corporations, or officers of corporations, as the case may be, for violation of that section.

(h) Any monetary fine assessed under this section shall be due and payable thirty days after issuance of the citation, subject to appeal rights provided under this subsection. Citations may be appealed to the director of taxation or the director's designee.

(i) Each transient accommodations intermediary who markets transient accommodations through a travel agency, as a condition precedent to entering into an arrangement to furnish transient accommodations at noncommissioned negotiated contract rates, shall register with the director. The travel agency or tour packager shall make a one-time payment of $15 for each registration, upon receipt of which the director shall issue a certificate of registration in such form as the director determines, attesting that the registration has been made. The registration shall not be transferable and shall be valid only for the transient accommodations remarketer or travel agency in whose name it is issued."

SECTION 4. Section 237D-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) On or before the twentieth day of each calendar month, every [~~operator taxable, or plan manager~~] taxpayer liable under this chapter during the preceding calendar month shall file a sworn return with the director in such form as the director shall prescribe together with a remittance for the amount of the tax in the form required by section 237D-6.5. Sections 237-30 and 237-32 shall apply to returns and penalties made under this chapter to the same extent as if the sections were set forth specifically in this section."

SECTION 5. Section 237D-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§237D-7 Annual return. On or before the twentieth day of the fourth month following the close of the taxable year, every person who has become liable for the payment of the taxes under this chapter during the preceding tax year shall file a return summarizing that person's liability under this chapter for the year, in such form as the director prescribes. The [~~operator or plan manager~~] taxpayer shall transmit with the return a remittance covering the residue of the tax chargeable to the [~~operator or plan manager,~~] taxpayer, if any, to the office of the appropriate state district tax assessor designated in section 237D-8. The return shall be signed by the taxpayer, if made by an individual, or by the president, vice-president, secretary, or treasurer of a corporation, if made on behalf of a corporation. If made on behalf of a partnership, firm, society, unincorporated association, group, hui, joint adventure, joint stock company, corporation, trust estate, decedent's estate, trust, or other entity, any individual delegated by the entity shall sign the same on behalf of the taxpayer. If for any reason it is not practicable for the individual taxpayer to sign the return, it may be done by any duly authorized agent. The department, for good cause shown, may extend the time for making the return on the application of any taxpayer and grant such reasonable additional time within which to make the return as the department may deem advisable.

Section 232-2 applies to the annual return, but not to a monthly return."

SECTION 6. Section 237D-9, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) If any [~~operator or plan manager~~] taxpayer fails to make a return as required by this chapter, the director shall make an estimate of the tax liability of the [~~operator or plan manager~~] taxpayer from any information the director obtains, and according to the estimate so made, assess the taxes, interest, and penalty due the State from the [~~operator or plan manager,~~] taxpayer, give notice of the assessment to the [~~operator or plan manager,~~] taxpayer, and make demand upon the [~~operator or plan manager~~] taxpayer for payment. The assessment shall be presumed to be correct until and unless, upon an appeal duly taken as provided in section 237D-11, the contrary shall be clearly proved by the person assessed, and the burden of proof upon such appeal shall be upon the person assessed to disprove the correctness of assessment."

SECTION 7. Section 237D-10, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§237D-10 Overpayment; refunds. Upon application by [~~an operator or plan manager,~~] a taxpayer, if the director determines that any tax, interest, or penalty has been paid more than once, or has been erroneously or illegally collected or computed, the tax, interest, or penalty shall be credited by the director on any taxes then due from the [~~operator or plan manager~~] taxpayer under this chapter. The director shall refund the balance to the [~~operator or plan manager~~] taxpayer or the [~~operator's or plan manager's~~] taxpayer's successors, administrators, executors, or assigns in accordance with section 231-23. No credit or refund shall be allowed for any tax imposed by this chapter, unless a claim for such credit or refund is filed as follows:

(1) If an annual return is timely filed, or is filed within three years after the date prescribed for filing the annual return, then the credit or refund shall be claimed within three years after the date the annual return was filed or the date prescribed for filing the annual return, whichever is later.

(2) If an annual return is not filed, or is filed more than three years after the date prescribed for filing the annual return, a claim for credit or refund shall be filed within:

(A) Three years after the payment of the tax; or

(B) Three years after the date prescribed for the filing of the annual return,

whichever is later.

Paragraphs (1) and (2) are mutually exclusive. The preceding limitation shall not apply to a credit or refund pursuant to an appeal, provided for in section 237D-11.

As to all tax payments for which a refund or credit is not authorized by this section (including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, cases of unconstitutionality), the remedies provided by appeal or by section 40-35 are exclusive."

SECTION 8. Section 237D-12, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§237D-12 Records to be kept; examination. Every [~~operator and plan manager~~] taxpayer shall keep in the English language within the State, and preserve for a period of three years, suitable records of gross rental, gross rental proceeds, or fair market rental value relating to the business taxed under this chapter, and such other books, records of account, and invoices as may be required by the department, and all such books, records, and invoices shall be open for examination at any time by the department or the Multistate Tax Commission pursuant to chapter 255, or the authorized representative thereof."

SECTION 9. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 10. This Act shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2018.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2615
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII