Each resident taxpayer who occupies and pays rent for real property within the State as his or her residence and who files an individual income tax return for the taxable year, including those who have no income or no income taxable under chapter 235, HRS, may claim a tax credit of $50 per qualified exemption, including the additional exemption for taxpayers age 65 or over, provided the following four conditions are met:
- The taxpayer is not eligible to be claimed as a dependent for federal or State income tax purposes by another taxpayer;
- The taxpayer has adjusted gross income of less than $30,000; and
- The taxpayer has paid more than $1,000 in rent during the taxable year.
The rented property is NOT exempt from real property tax. Rent paid for property which is partially or fully exempt from real property tax will not qualify for the credit. For example, county or State low-income housing projects, military housing, dormitories in schools, residential real property owned by a nonprofit organization, and homes in which the owner occupies a portion of the property, may have been granted real property tax exemptions by the county. If such exemptions, whether partial or full exemptions, have been granted, the rent paid for such properties will not qualify for the credit. To verify if real property tax exemptions have been granted on the rented property, please inquire with either the landlord, rental agent, or theReal Property Tax Office in the county in which the property is located.
Note: Minor children receiving more than half of their support from the State Department of Human Services, Social Security benefits, and the like, are NOT considered qualified exemptions for purposes of claiming this credit. A child listed in line 3 of Part I does not count toward this credit.
A residence is defined as the dwelling place that constitutes the principal residence of the taxpayer or his or her immediate family in this State.
Rent means the amount paid in cash in any taxable year for the occupancy of a residence.
Rent does not include:
- Charges for utilities, parking stalls, storage of goods, yard services, furniture, furnishings, and the like.
- Rental claimed as a deduction from gross income or adjusted gross income for income tax purposes.
- Ground rental paid for use of land only.
- Rental allowances or rental subsidies received (i.e. housing allowance received from the armed forces or the Hawaii Housing Authority).
Deadline for Claiming this Credit
Claims for this credit, including any amended claims, must be filed on or before the end of the twelfth month after the close of your taxable year.