AI-assisted research summary: The department of taxation is headed by a director, must administer and enforce state tax revenue laws, and must collect taxes and other payments due. The director must also visit low-income communities annually statewide to help taxpayers prepare filings.
(a) The department of taxation shall be headed by a single executive to be known as the director of taxation. (b) The department shall administer and enforce the tax revenue laws of the State and collect all taxes and other payments payable thereunder. (c) The director of taxation shall visit low-income communities to assist taxpayers in the preparation of tax filings. The qualification of and the visitation to specific low-income communities shall be at the discretion of the director; provided that the visitation shall be on an annual basis and statewide. (d) There shall be within the department of taxation a board of review for each taxation district and a tax appeal court. The composition of each board of review and the tax appeal court and its respective functions, duties, and powers shall be as heretofore provided by law for the boards of review and tax appeal court existing immediately prior to November 25, 1959. (e) The functions and authority heretofore exercised by the office of tax commissioner as heretofore constituted are transferred to the department of taxation established by this chapter. [L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §16; Supp, §14A-15; am L 1967, c 37, §1(1); HRS ; am L 2008, c 202, §3] Case Notes Where regulatory fees assessed against insurers by the insurance commissioner, an officer of the executive branch, for payment into the insurance regulation fund under §431:2-215 were transferred by the legislature via transfer bills from the insurance division into the general fund, and the regulatory fees became available for general purposes as if derived from general tax revenues, the transfers violated the separation of powers doctrine under the Hawaii constitution, article VIII, §3, and subsection (b). 120 H. 51, 201 P.3d 564.