Kokua Line: When will I get tax rebate?

Question: Will we get the tax rebate later because we didn’t file our Hawaii taxes on time?

Answer: It depends how late you filed. The state Department of Taxation says it will begin issuing Act 115 refunds the first week of September (a week later than previously estimated), in the order that people filed their Hawaii individual income tax return for the 2021 tax year. However, even those who filed as late as July 31 are expected to receive rebates in September or October, according to estimated delivery dates posted on the department’s website.

Electronic direct deposits are estimated to arrive in September and paper checks in September and October, for eligible people who submitted their Hawaii forms N-11 or N-15 from Jan. 1 through July 31, the department says. Recipients cannot choose or change the delivery method, which is based on methods used for their 2021 tax return.

People who filed Aug. 1 and later can expect the rebate 10 to 12 weeks after they filed, depending on the delivery method (up to 10 weeks for direct deposit and up to 12 weeks for a paper check). Residents must file a 2021 Hawaii individual income tax return by the end of this year to be eligible for this rebate.

To be clear, anyone who owes Hawaii income taxes should be filing before then. Taxes were due April 20, but filers due a refund or who paid their estimated tax bill were granted an automatic six-month extension to submit the return, to Oct. 20, 2022.

Q: Can they take my rebate for child support?

A: Yes. The “Act 115 refund will be used to offset taxes owed to IRS and any outstanding debt to external agencies, such as for child support payment. However, Act 115 refund will not be used to offset taxes owed to state of Hawaii,” DOTAX says on its website.

The rebate is $100 or $300 per person included in a tax return (filers and dependents), based on income. A couple filing jointly that has two children and earns less than $200,000 a year would receive $1,200, for example, while a family the same size with adjusted gross income over $200,000 would receive $400.

Q: Can I cancel my ballot and re-vote before election day? I didn’t read up enough before mailing my ballot and I wish I had made a few different choices.

A: No. “According to HRS 15-13.5(1), a voter who deposits their ballot in the mail is considered to have cast their ballot and is not eligible for a replacement ballot,” according to Honolulu County’s Elections Division.

Auwe

Auwe! As of Sunday, all seven lights in the freeway underpass at 10th Avenue are no longer working. As a result, the underpass is extremely dark at night and it doesn’t feel safe to walk through it or leave your car parked nearby. — Stephen

Auwe

Auwe to the guy who parked his car so close to mine in the parking lot of the Hawaii Kai Satellite City Hall on July 29, that I couldn’t open my driver’s side door and had to crawl into the driver’s seat through my passenger-side door. The guy showed up with his dog as I was leaving. I told him I could not get through the driver’s side and asked him how he had gotten his dog out of his own car. He pointed to his driver-side door. Very inconsiderate driver. He couldn’t open his own passenger-side door to get his dog out. He knew his car was too close, yet he left it there. — L.T.

Mahalo

A sincere and heartfelt mahalo to Michelle and her friend (to whom many apologies are due as his name escapes me), who generously came to my aid Friday afternoon on Kaahumanu Street in Aiea. These guardian angels appeared as I was struggling to recover from an unexpected medical condition. They contacted emergency personnel, made certain that I would be taken care of, and offered prayers for my future well-being. Many, many thanks to them both! — Kent

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.