Hawaii Property Tax -- Is there a high level summary? (Honolulu: apartment, rental)

[rhbj03]

I have searched this forum and also on the web, even checked out the counties' tax sites. I don't seem to find a high-level but comprehensive description of the property tax scheme, that can explain the puzzling phenomena I have come across. For example (below are all public record taken from the county website):

-- Some properties pay close to the 0.28% I often read about, while some can pay 1%%.

-- Side by side empty lots assessed differently:

Acreage 1.622
Market Land Value $ 158,100

Acreage 3.23
Market Land Value $ 225,700


-- Some properties seem to pay no property tax by having land and building exemptions (does this explain the first observation?):

Selected Parcel
Property Class 9
Acreage 0.29
Physical Address
Market Land Value $ 36,300
Dedicated Use Value $ 0
Land Exemption $ 36,300
Net Taxable Land Value $ 0
Assessed Building Value $ 338,900
Building Exemption $ 338,900
Net Taxable Building Value $ 0
Total Taxable Value $ 0
Improvements on Parcel 1
Total Improvement Area (sq ft) 2,129

Anyone can give a high-level description of the HI property tax scheme, or point to such a description somewhere? Thanks a lot.

[rhbj03]

Found this on county site. Doesn't seem anyone is getting 0.28%...

----------------------

Hawai’i County Tax Rates Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017

Tax Rate Per $1,000 for Taxable Building and Taxable Land

0 Affordable Rental Housing $6.15 $6.15
1 Residential $10.05 $10.05
2 Apartment $10.85 $10.85
3 Commercial $10.05 $10.05
4 Industrial $10.05 $10.05
5 Agricultural and Native Forest $9.25 $9.25
6 Conservation $10.85 $10.85
7 Hotel/Resort $10.85 $10.85
9 Homeowner $6.15 $6.15

[838454]

From what I have noticed is .4% to 1% which is for having the home owners exemption living in the property year round, and non home owners exemption living part of the year or renting out the property.

[rya96797]

Yeah, there's that $40k or $80k or whatever exemption that resident homeowners get. You should check by county. I'm not sure if all the counties have the same exemption. For that matter, I think all the islands have different % tax rates. You need to make sure you're looking at the right numbers.

[rya96797]

if you have a specific property in mind, might be a good idea to just look it up on the RPT county site. property taxes and assessed value are public information. I think Oahu's one is City and County of Honolulu Public Access