GET can reach services
The business owes GET on covered activity. Review tax classification, county surcharge, exemptions and customer-pricing rules with DOTAX; it is not simply a tax collected only on retail goods.
Official guidance →Your state. Your next step.Start a business
Start a business
in Hawaii.
A practical launch path for registration, taxes, local permits, hiring and recurring compliance.
Official sources checked October 17, 2026. Rules, fees and local requirements can change.
What’s different in Hawaii?
Annual reports follow a quarter
Find the original registration quarter and calendar its last day. The formation year is excluded from the annual-report requirement.
Official guidance →Hiring involves multiple benefit programs
Review workers’ compensation, temporary disability insurance and prepaid health care separately. Do not assume one policy satisfies all three.
Official guidance →Selected government costs and deadlines
Domestic LLC examples checked October 17, 2026; not a complete startup budget. Government charges are separate from optional service fees. Confirm exemptions, entity type and current instructions.
| Item | Government cost | Timing / scope | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic LLC Articles of Organization | $50 + $1 archives fee | Standard filing; expedited service is an additional $25. | Official source |
| LLC annual report online | $12.50 | Current October 2026 notice; due by end of registration quarter, starting the following year. | Official source |
| General excise tax license | $20 one-time registration | Separate from BREG formation; recurring GET returns and tax may apply. | Official source |
| Professional and county approvals | Varies | Confirm activity, location, inspections and renewals before opening. | Official source |
Hawaii launch guide
Build a launch checklist for your business.
Choose your work, location and hiring plans. Review the full sequence below as well; this tool cannot identify every permit.
Your launch path
Answers and checkmarks save on this device when browser storage is available. No account is required. This is an educational starting list, not a complete licensing search or a determination of your legal, tax or insurance obligations.
Your Hawaii launch sequence
Before filing
Compare structure, ownership, liability, name availability, tax treatment and startup cash. Check whether a regulated profession restricts the entity type.
Before committing to premises
Ask the city and county about permitted use, home occupation, occupancy, fire, health and signs. For child care or construction, confirm the industry approvals before committing to the property.
Register and calendar
File LLC Articles of Organization with DCCA BREG, maintain a Hawaii registered agent and review trade-name requirements. Use the current Hawaii Business Express links from BREG. Entity registration and the Department of Taxation GET license are separate. Hawaii LLC annual reports are due by the end of the calendar quarter containing the registration anniversary, starting in the following year. The October 2026 official notice lists $12.50 for online LLC annual reports. Taxes and professional or local renewals are separate.
Before taking payments
Hawaii’s general excise tax (GET) is a tax on business activity, including many services, rather than a conventional retail sales tax. Review the $20 GET license, activity classification, county surcharge, use tax and periodic and annual reconciliation returns with DOTAX. Do not assume a service or online sale is exempt. Set up business banking, records, customer terms and a tested inquiry form.
Before hiring
Hawaii employers generally need workers’ compensation for one or more employees, including part-time workers, subject to statutory exclusions. Also review temporary disability insurance and prepaid health care for eligible employees; each program has its own rules. Review unemployment, payroll tax, wage and leave requirements and new-hire reporting.
Industry and worker checks
Construction / trades
Check the DCCA Contractors License Board for entity and responsible-managing-employee requirements, classifications, experience, examination and insurance. Confirm licensing before offering or performing regulated work and obtain county permits for the project.
Official guidance →Daycare / child care
Use Hawaii DHS to distinguish registered family child-care homes from licensed centers and group homes. Confirm the applicable rules, background checks, training and inspections before enrollment, and ask the county about use of the property.
Official guidance →Home and online businesses
Confirm home occupation, deliveries, storage and customer visits with the city and county. An online storefront does not remove operating-base, tax or product obligations.
Official guidance →Food, beauty, agriculture and auto
Identify each regulated activity, practitioner credential, facility approval and environmental or food permission before offering it. Formation alone does not authorize regulated work.
Official guidance →Workers’ compensation and employer benefits
Hawaii employers generally need workers’ compensation for one or more employees, including part-time workers, subject to statutory exclusions. Also review temporary disability insurance and prepaid health care for eligible employees; each program has its own rules.
Official guidance →Employees or independent contractors
Review the actual work under tax, labor, unemployment and coverage rules. A contract, LLC or Form 1099 does not settle worker status.
Official guidance →Get a clear answer from your local offices
Find your city and county government’s official website. Look for planning or zoning, business licensing, building inspections and the tax or revenue office. Describe what you will actually do, including home visits, deliveries, storage and online fulfillment.
Ask these questions
- Is this activity permitted at this address?
- Which licenses, tax accounts and inspections apply?
- Do home occupation, signs, parking or customer visits change the rules?
- What must be approved before opening, and what renews later?
- Can you send the requirements and fee schedule in writing?
For a daycare, ask the child-care regulator before adapting a property. For a contractor, ask the trade board and the local building office.
Your local approval notes
Notes save in this browser on this device. Avoid sensitive information; clearing browser storage removes saved notes. Print this page to keep a copy.
Optional tools for the next step
Government filings can be completed directly. These are optional commercial services. Affiliate/referral disclosure: Let’s Go SMALL may receive compensation if you use these links. Compare pricing, scope and ongoing costs; no tool establishes legal compliance.
Create and test a customer inquiry form before sharing it with customers.
Official sources and next steps
- Register — Hawaii
- Name — Hawaii
- Tax — Hawaii
- License — Hawaii
- Contractor — Hawaii
- Annual — Hawaii
- Employer — Hawaii
- Wc — Hawaii
- Child Care — Hawaii
- Worker Classification — Hawaii
- Cost Source 1 — Hawaii
- Cost Source 2 — Hawaii
- Cost Source 3 — Hawaii
- Cost Source 4 — Hawaii
Educational information only—not individualized legal, tax, insurance or accounting advice. This checklist cannot identify every rule. Confirm requirements with the relevant agency and qualified advisers. Operating in another state may require foreign qualification, tax accounts and licenses there.
Explore the western guides: California · Nevada · Oregon · Washington · Alaska
Organize your business money
Use the bookkeeping and invoicing guide for a weekly routine, invoice checklist and optional software comparison. State tax and registration duties still need separate review.