Report Title:

Diesel Fuel; Additional One Cent License Tax; Power Generation

 

Description:

Clarifies that the additional one cent license tax added to diesel fuel is not applicable to diesel oil that is sold for use in electric power generation by a power-generating facility.  (HB370 HD2)

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

370

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

H.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO TAXATION.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  Act 209, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, (Act 209) increased the license tax on liquid fuels, including diesel oil, from 1 cent to 2 cents per gallon.  The revenues from this tax are used to support the operation, maintenance, and construction of the state highway system.  The legislature finds that Act 209 inadvertently increased the cost of electricity generated by diesel fuel.  The purpose of this Act is to revert the license tax on liquid fuels back to 1 cent per gallon for diesel used in electric power-generation by a power-generating facility regulated by the public utilities commission.

     SECTION 2.  Section 243-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

     "(a)  Every distributor, in addition to any other taxes provided by law, shall pay a license tax to the department of taxation for each gallon of liquid fuel refined, manufactured, produced, or compounded by the distributor and sold or used by the distributor in the [State] state or imported by the distributor, or acquired by the distributor from persons who are not licensed distributors, and sold or used by the distributor in the [State.] state.  Any person who sells or uses any liquid fuel, knowing that the distributor from whom it was originally purchased has not paid and is not paying the tax thereon, shall pay such tax as would have applied to such sale or use by the distributor.  The rates of tax imposed are as follows:

     (1)  For each gallon of diesel oil, 2 cents[;], except for diesel oil sold for use in electric power-generation by a power-generating facility regulated by the public utilities commission, 1 cent; provided that each entity that uses diesel oil in a power-generating facility shall certify annually to the public utilities commission, on a form to be supplied by the commission, that the reduced rate paid by the entity under this paragraph reduces costs to ratepayers;

     (2)  For each gallon of gasoline or other aviation fuel sold for use in or used for airplanes, 2 cents;

     (3)  For each gallon of naphtha sold for use in a power‑generating facility, 1 cent;

     (4)  For each gallon of liquid fuel, other than fuel mentioned in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), and other than an alternative fuel, sold or used in the city and county of Honolulu, or sold in any county for ultimate use in the city and county of Honolulu, 17 cents state tax, and in addition thereto an amount, to be known as the "city and county of Honolulu fuel tax", as shall be levied pursuant to section 243-5;

     (5)  For each gallon of liquid fuel, other than fuel mentioned in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), and other than an alternative fuel, sold or used in the county of Hawaii, or sold in any county for ultimate use in the county of Hawaii, 17 cents state tax, and in addition thereto an amount, to be known as the "county of Hawaii fuel tax", as shall be levied pursuant to section 243-5;

     (6)  For each gallon of liquid fuel, other than fuel mentioned in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), and other than an alternative fuel, sold or used in the county of Maui, or sold in any county for ultimate use in the county of Maui, 17 cents state tax, and in addition thereto an amount, to be known as the "county of Maui fuel tax", as shall be levied pursuant to section 243‑5; and

     (7)  For each gallon of liquid fuel, other than fuel mentioned in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), and other than an alternative fuel, sold or used in the county of Kauai, or sold in any county for ultimate use in the county of Kauai, 17 cents state tax, and in addition thereto an amount, to be known as the "county of Kauai fuel tax", as shall be levied pursuant to section 243-5.

     If it is shown to the satisfaction of the department, based upon proper records and from any other evidence as the department may require, that liquid fuel, other than fuel mentioned in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), is used for agricultural equipment that does not operate upon the public highways of the State, the user thereof may obtain a refund of all taxes thereon imposed by this section in excess of 1 cent per gallon.  The department shall adopt rules to administer such refunds."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act, on July 1, 2020, shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2008; provided that the amendments made by this Act to section 243-4(a), Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall not be repealed when that section is repealed and reenacted pursuant to Act 103, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007.