Question: I will turn 65 on Sept. 30. Will I get the higher home exemption this upcoming tax year, since my birthday falls on the filing deadline?
Answer: No. Although the deadline to apply for a first-time home exemption is Sept. 30, the key date for receiving the elevated value is June 30. “For homeowners 65 years and older the home exemption is $160,000. To qualify for this exemption amount, you must be 65 years or older on or before June 30 preceding the tax year for which the exemption is claimed,” Honolulu’s Real Property Assessment Division says on its website.
Oahu’s home exemption is $120,000 for owner-occupants under 65 as well as for those whose birth date is not on file, according to RPAD. The exemption amount — $120,000 or $160,000 — is subtracted from the assessed value of a property, and the owner-occupant is taxed on the balance, lowering the property tax due.
Kokua Line gets questions about Oahu’s home exemption this time of year, as the city reminds residents of the application deadline for initial claims (those with an existing home exemption don’t need to reapply). Here are key points:
>> Oahu owner- occupants whose residential property ownership is recorded at the state Bureau of Conveyances and who have filed a home exemption claim with the city by Sept. 30 preceding the tax year for which the exemption is claimed generally are eligible. Certain long-term lessees who pay the residence’s property taxes also are eligible.
>> The exemption will take effect July 1, 2025, for eligible owner- occupants who file an initial claim by Sept. 30, 2024, and for those who already have a home exemption. Exemptions for new and existing applicants will continue each tax year thereafter unless a change in ownership or occupancy affects eligibility.
>> A home exemption (form BFS-RPA-E-8-10.3) can be filed with RPAD by mail, online, in person at either of Oahu’s two RPAD offices or at any satellite city hall (bring a duplicate of the completed form, in the last case). For details and to download the form, go to real property.honolulu.gov.
>> As mentioned, once the initial exemption is approved, property owners don’t need to reapply year after year. Provide age verification so that the exemption amount can automatically increase after the applicant turns 65. Contact RPAD if you need to confirm that the applicant’s birth date is on file.
>> Oahu owner-occupants can check their property record online via the aforementioned website to confirm whether they have a home exemption; click the icon for “Property Records Search.” Or, email bfsrp mailbox@honolulu.gov or call 808-768-3799.
Q: Are they still adding gold stars to valid Hawaii driver’s licenses that never got the star?
A: Yes, you can “apply for a duplicate license at any City and County of Honolulu Driver Licensing Center and pay the $6 duplicate license fee.
Bring your current valid driver’s license and a completed driver’s license application indicating you wish to designate your driver’s license as your REAL ID-compliant card.
If you have not already done so, bring your original documents providing proof of identity and Hawai‘i residency,” Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services says on its website.
Mahalo
I would like to give a big mahalo to the sweet young lady who found my wallet at Kaiser hospital and turned it in to the security desk. She even went the extra mile to track me down in the transportation waiting area to ask whether I was the person who lost a wallet. Her kind actions saved me hours of grief and worry, as I would have had to cancel credit cards and replace my license and other cards, too. This nice young lady really renewed my faith in people. — Grateful senior
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
