Question: Does Honolulu Community College accept the donation of broken-down cars or SUVs for students in its automotive programs to practice on — sort of like the cadaver program for medical students at the UH medical school, but with cars for students who are learning to be mechanics or other automotive specialists? If yes, how does one go about donating a vehicle?
Answer: Not exactly. HCC does accept donated cars as teaching tools, but they can’t be completely broken-down vehicles that should have been junked. Also, to be clear, you’re asking about an outright donation, with no expectation of getting back the car.
“With regards to donated vehicles, we prefer that vehicles be in running condition, and later model years are preferred. Donated vehicles must be related to instructional programmatic needs. Before any donated car is accepted, it must be assessed for training value by our Automotive Program faculty,” HCC Chancellor Karen C. Lee said in an emailed response to your questions.
Anyone interested in donating a vehicle can contact HCC’s Dennis Pajela by email at pajela@hawaii.edu or by phone at 808-842-2571 for more information.
There isn’t a strict model-year cutoff, but newer models are preferred because they are generally more useful to students learning skills, methods and techniques needed in today’s job market, Pajela said.
HCC’s certified Automotive Technology program prepares graduates for well-paying careers as mechanics, technicians and supervisors in a variety of settings, according to its website, honolulu.hawaii.edu/post/program/amt.
Meanwhile, the John A. Burns School of Medicine’s Willed Body Program, which allows people to donate their body after death for medical-science research and education, has paused enrollment of new donors until further notice, due to a reduced need for anatomical gifts, according to its website.
Q: When does DOTAX expect to hear from the Internal Revenue Service confirming whether the Act 115 refund is subject to federal income tax?
A: “We are in contact with the IRS and were last informed that they expect to provide guidance by the end of this week,” Gary H. Yamashiroya, spokesperson for the state Department of Taxation, said Thursday in an email.
In its nationwide alert last week, the agency had said it hoped to notify as many states as possible this week about the taxability of special tax refunds or payments those states issued in 2022. There was no update for Hawaii on Thursday, an IRS spokesperson said.
Until late Wednesday afternoon, DOTAX had said that Act 115 refunds received by Hawaii residents were not subject to state or federal income taxes, but it revised that guidance after acknowledging that the IRS had never confirmed the state’s analysis. Now it says that taxpayers should wait for an update from the IRS.
Q: If the IRS determines Act 115 is taxable, will DOTAX mail out 1099 forms or some other notification reminding us how much we got?
A: It’s too soon to say. “We will need to thoroughly assess the analysis and guidance from the IRS and will provide guidance to taxpayers accordingly,” Yamashiroya said.
Mahalo
Many thanks to Angela and the manager of Buffalo Wild Wings at Windward Mall. I was shopping when I felt ill, and went into the nearest place for water and a place to sit. Angela saw that I was not well and quickly gave me water. The manager came to ask how they could help, and assured me I could sit there as long as I needed. When I tried to pay for the water and tea, Angela would not accept payment. Once I was feeling better, her friend, a charming young man, helped me walk to a seating area to meet my friend. You all touched my heart with your kindness. — Grateful senior citizen
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.
