HRS § 231-15.8 - Time for performing certain acts postponed by reason of service in combat zone

(a) This section shall apply to state tax laws set forth in this title 14 that provide for the filing with the director of taxation of a return or statement of the tax or payment of the amount taxable. (b) This section applies to any individual serving in the armed forces of the United States, or serving in support of the armed forces, in an area designated by the President of the United States by Executive Order as a combat zone for purposes of section 112 (with respect to certain combat pay of members of the armed forces) of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, at any time during the periods designated by the President by Executive Order as the periods of combatant activities in the zone for the purposes of section 112, or when deployed outside the United States away from the individual's permanent duty station while participating in an operation designated by the Secretary of Defense as a contingency operation (as defined in section 101(a)(13) of title 10, United States Code) or which became such a contingency operation by operation of law, at any time during the period designated by the President by Executive Order as the period of combatant activities in such zone for purposes of such section or at any time during the period of such contingency operation, or hospitalized as a result of injury received while serving in such zone or operation during such time. The period of service in the zone or operation, plus the period of continuous qualified hospitalization attributable to the injury, and the next one hundred eighty days thereafter, shall be disregarded in determining in respect of any tax liability (including any interest, penalty, additional amount, or addition to the tax) of the individual: (1) Whether any of the following acts was performed within the time prescribed therefor: (A) Filing any tax return (except income tax withheld at source); (B) Payment of any tax (except income tax withheld at source) or any installment thereof or any other liability to the State in respect of such tax; (C) Filing a tax appeal pursuant to chapter 232 or an action to recover moneys paid under protest pursuant to section 40-35(b) if the payment was for tax liability imposed pursuant to this title 14; (D) Allowance of a credit or refund of any tax; (E) Filing a claim for credit or refund of any tax; (F) Bringing suit upon any claim for credit or refund; (G) Assessment of any tax; (H) Giving or making any notice or demand for the payment of any tax or with respect to any liability to the State in respect of any tax; (I) Collection by the director, by levy or otherwise, of the amount of any liability in respect of any tax; (J) Bringing suit by the State or any representative of the State on its behalf in respect of any liability in respect of any tax; and (K) Any other act required or permitted under the tax or revenue laws of the State pursuant to rules adopted by the director. (2) The amount of any credit or refund. (c) This section shall apply to the spouse of any individual entitled to the benefits of this section. The preceding sentence shall not cause this section to apply for any spouse for any taxable year beginning more than two years after the date designated under section 112 (with respect to certain combat pay of members of the armed forces) of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as the date of termination of combatant activities in a combat zone. (d) The period of service in a designated combat zone shall include the period during which an individual entitled to benefits under this section is in a missing status, within the meaning of section 6013(f)(3) (with respect to joint return where an individual is in missing status) of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. (e) Notwithstanding subsection (b), any action or proceeding authorized by section 231-24 (regardless of the taxable year for which the tax arose) as well as any other action or proceeding authorized by law in connection therewith, may be taken, begun, or prosecuted. In any other case in which the director determines that collection of the amount of any assessment would be jeopardized by delay, subsection (b) shall not operate to stay collection of the amount by levy or otherwise as authorized by law. There shall be excluded from any amount assessed or collected pursuant to this subsection the amount of interest, penalty, additional amount, and addition to the tax, if any, in respect of the period disregarded under subsection (b). In any case to which this subsection relates, if the director is required to give any notice to or make any demand upon any person, the requirement shall be deemed to be satisfied if the notice or demand is prepared and signed, in any case in which the address of the person last known to the director is in an area for which United States post offices under instructions of the Postmaster General, by reason of the combatant activities, are not accepting mail for delivery at the time the notice or demand is signed. In this case the notice or demand shall be deemed to have been given or made upon the date it is signed. (f) The assessment or collection of any tax or of any liability to the State in respect of any tax or any action or proceeding by or on behalf of the State in connection therewith, may be made, taken, begun, or prosecuted in accordance with law, without regard to subsection (b), unless prior to the assessment, collection, action, or proceeding it is ascertained that the person concerned is entitled to the benefits of subsection (b). (g) Treatment of individuals performing Desert Shield services: (1) Any individual who performed Desert Shield services (and the spouse of the individual) shall be entitled to the benefits of this section in the same manner as if the services were services referred to in subsection (b). (2) For purposes of this subsection, "Desert Shield services" means any services in the armed forces of the United States or in support of the armed forces if these services are performed in the area designated by the President as the "Persian Gulf Desert Shield area" and the services are performed during the period beginning on August 2, 1990, and ending on the date on which any portion of the Persian Gulf Desert Shield area is designated by the President as a combat zone pursuant to section 112 (with respect to certain combat pay of members of the armed forces) of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. (h) For purposes of this section, "qualified hospitalization" means any hospitalization outside the United States and any hospitalization inside the United States, except that not more than five years of hospitalization inside the United States may be taken into account under this subsection. The five-year period of qualified hospitalization inside the United States shall not apply for purposes of applying this section with respect to the spouse of an individual entitled to the benefits of subsection (b). (i) If an individual is entitled to the benefits of this section with respect to any return and the return is timely filed (determined after the application of subsection (b)) section 231-23(d)(1) with respect to the limitations for computing interest shall not apply and interest shall be paid from the due date of the return regardless of when the return is filed. (j) If an individual is entitled to the benefits of subsection (b), then, with respect to claiming any credit pursuant to state tax laws set forth in this title 14 and any general credit enacted pursuant to article VII, section 6, of the state constitution, the limitation period prescribed for such claims shall be determined after the application of subsection (b). [L 1991, c 208, §2; am L 2004, c 89, §2] Note The 2004 amendment applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2003, except as otherwise provided in L 2004, c 89. L 2004, c 89, §6. Cross References Civil relief for state military forces, see chapter 657D.