Make sure Hawaiʻi’s tax policy is equitable

Every year, new tax proposals are introduced at the legislature and, this session, tax policy deserves more scrutiny than ever.

Over the past 12 months, COVID-19 has reshaped work, school, housing and our whole economy. Rebuilding Hawaiʻi as a place where local people have opportunities to live and thrive demands a review of many state policies, including the basic fairness and adequacy of our tax system.

Local economists point to the following as the foundation for a healthy and vibrant future for Hawaiʻi: efficient transportation, good public schools and universities, affordable and available housing and effective government. None of these is possible without the collective investment—through taxes—in government spending and regulation.

In 2021, and every year, proposals to change our tax system are important. Tax policy must ensure that the burden of funding our society—of bringing in the revenues we need to give Hawaiʻi’s residents the best and brightest future possible—is spread fairly.