(a) The department and the attorney general may examine all records required to be kept or filed under this chapter, and books, papers, and records of any person engaged in the business of wholesaling or dealing cigarettes and tobacco products, to verify the accuracy of the payment of the taxes imposed by this chapter. Every person in possession of any books, papers, and records, and the person’s agents and employees, are directed and required to give the department and the attorney general the means, facilities, and opportunities for the examinations.

Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 245-9

  • Attorney general: means the state attorney general or deputy attorneys general. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 245-1
  • Department: means the department of taxation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 245-1
  • Entity: means one or more individuals, a company, corporation, a partnership, an association, or any other type of legal entity. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 245-1
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Possession: means knowingly having direct physical control at a given time or knowingly having the power and the intention, at a given time, to exercise dominion or control, either directly or through another entity. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 245-1
  • Sale: includes every act of selling and includes any sale or act of selling that originates from any order that is placed or submitted by means of a telephonic or other method of voice transmission, the mail, or any other delivery service, or the Internet or other online service. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 245-1
  • sold: includes any delivery of cigarettes or tobacco products, whether cash is actually paid therefor or not. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 245-1
  • Stamp: means a stamp printed, manufactured, or made by authority of the department, as provided in this chapter, that is issued, sold, or circulated by the department, and by the use of which the tax levied under this chapter is paid. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 245-1
  • Tobacco products: means :

    (1) Tobacco in any form, other than cigarettes or little cigars, that is prepared or intended for consumption or for personal use by humans, including large cigars and any substitutes thereof other than cigarettes that bear the semblance thereof, snuff, chewing or smokeless tobacco, and smoking or pipe tobacco; or
    (2) Electronic smoking devices; or
    (3) E-liquid. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 245-1
  • Use: means the exercise of any right or power incident to ownership or possession, other than the sale, or the keeping or retention for the purpose of sale. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 245-1
(b) The department and the attorney general may inspect the operations, premises, and storage areas of any entity engaged in the sale of cigarettes, or the contents of a specific vending machine, during regular business hours. This inspection shall include inspection of all statements, books, papers, and records in whatever format, including electronic format, pertaining to the acquisition, possession, transportation, sale, or use of packages of cigarettes and tobacco products other than cigarettes, to verify the accuracy of the payment of taxes imposed by this chapter, and of the contents of cartons and shipping or storage containers to ascertain that all individual packages of cigarettes have an affixed stamp of proper denomination as required by this chapter. This inspection may also verify that all stamps were produced under the authority of the department. Every entity in possession of any books, papers, and records, and the entity’s agents and employees, are directed and required to give the department and the attorney general the means, facilities, and opportunities for the examinations.
(c) If the department or the attorney general has reasonable cause to believe and does believe that cigarettes, stamps, or counterfeit stamps are being acquired, possessed, transported, kept, sold, or offered for sale in violation of this chapter, the department or the attorney general may investigate or search the vehicle or premises in which the cigarettes, stamps, or counterfeit stamps are believed to be located. If cigarettes, stamps, or counterfeit stamps are found in a vehicle, premises, or vending machine in violation of this chapter the cigarettes, vending machine, vehicle, stamps, counterfeit stamps, or other tangible personal property containing those cigarettes, stamps, or counterfeit stamps and any books and records in possession of the entity in control or possession of the cigarettes, stamps, or counterfeit stamps may be seized by the department or the attorney general and are subject to forfeiture as provided in this chapter and chapter 712A.
(d) For purposes of this chapter:

“Counterfeit stamp” means any stamp that is not printed, manufactured, distributed, or made by authority of the department.

“Vehicle” means an automobile, airplane, motorcycle, motorboat, or other motor-propelled vehicle.

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