Hawaiʻi’s two-tier tax system: How the rich use a glaring loophole to pay less
While teachers, nurses and service workers pay income tax on every dollar they earn, the wealthy can shield a large portion of their profits thanks to a special tax break on capital gains.
Transformative change meets budget realities—a central lawmaking tension plays out in two new reports
Policy in Perspective 2025 and the Hawaiʻi Budget Primer FY2025–26 provide a compelling—and sometimes sobering—look at how Hawaiʻi invests, and often under-invests, in its communities.
Proposed Trump tax cuts will overwhelmingly benefit the top 1 percent
As millions of Americans file their taxes this April, both the U.S. House and Senate have passed budget resolutions that open the pathway for a massive tax giveaway for the wealthiest people in the country.
Why is SNAP failing Hawaiʻi residents?
It’s time for the state to invest in a more resilient, independent social safety net system that can keep working families going regardless of chaos at the federal level.
Congress’ budget blueprint leaves Hawaiʻi’s working families behind
In effect, the budget blueprint aims to take food out of the mouths of hungry keiki, so that billionaires can pad their pockets even more on the way to the bank.
Hawaiʻi’s elected leaders buy-in to costly “trickle-down” myth
Passing an “historic” tax cut that mostly benefits the wealthiest Hawaiʻi residents is not the path to a healthy economy that works for working people.
Leverage Hawaiʻi’s conveyance tax to equitably fund affordable housing, land conservation and infrastructure needs
The legislature has the opportunity this session to raise revenue to pay for much needed affordable housing—as well as land conservation and infrastructure—by increasing conveyance tax rates on investment properties.
Lawmakers still need to equitably raise revenue to meet Hawaiʻi’s needs
On tax policy, state legislators made progress in 2023 with tax relief, but left smart, revenue-raising policy initiatives on the table for next session.
Legislative agenda 2023: tax reforms to boost incomes and fund investments in our future
Top of the list of immediate challenges for Hawaiʻi is to find a way to prevent our people from being overwhelmed by the high and rising cost of living in the islands.
Hawaiʻi inequality is on the rise—wealth taxes can help fix the problem
Hawaiʻi is one of the most unequal states in the nation for wealth distribution, but tax policy changes can help capture more wealth at the top to invest back into communities.
Tax fairness is popular and needed for Hawaiʻi’s future
Most taxpayers agree that a fair and effective tax system is a critical part of building Hawaiʻi’s future.
Our tax system increases inequity
Our tax system plays a big role in the widening gap between those who are wealthy and those who are struggling to get by—a gap that is exponentially greater in Black, brown and indigenous communities.
Trump’s tax cuts gave Hawaiʻi’s rich a windfall; recapturing it would help our economy
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act worsened economic inequality. It’s time to ask the households that benefitted the most from that windfall to contribute more to the common good.