(a) A taxpayer or county may appeal directly to the tax appeal court without appealing to the state taxation board of review or any equivalent administrative body established by county ordinance; provided that a taxpayer appealing a real property tax assessment shall first obtain a decision from an administrative body established by county ordinance, before appealing to the tax appeal court, if county ordinance requires a taxpayer to do so. An appeal to the tax appeal court is properly commenced by filing, on or before the date fixed by law for the taking of the appeal, a written notice of appeal in the office of the tax appeal court and by service of the notice of appeal on the director of taxation and, in the case of an appeal from a decision involving the county as a party, the real property assessment division of the county involved. An appealing taxpayer shall also pay the costs in the amount fixed by § 232-22.
Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 232-16
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- county: includes the city and county of Honolulu. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-22
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
If a county ordinance requires a taxpayer appealing a real property tax assessment to first obtain a decision from an administrative body established by county ordinance prior to appealing to the tax appeal court, the notice of appeal shall be accompanied by a copy of the decision from the administrative body.
(d) An appeal to the tax appeal court shall be deemed to have been taken in time if the notice thereof and costs and the copy of the notice shall have been deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, properly addressed to the tax appeal court, the director of taxation, or the real property assessment division of the county involved, and to the taxpayer or taxpayers in the case of an appeal taken by a county, respectively, on or before the date fixed by law for the taking of the appeal.
(e) An appeal to the tax appeal court shall bring up for review all questions of fact and all questions of law, including constitutional questions, necessary to the determination of the objections raised by the taxpayer or county in the notice of appeal.
