State unveils one-form biz registration

Star-Bulletin staff

Starting next month, entrepreneurs will have to fill out just the two sides of a one-page form to cover the dozen or so tax and permit applications needed to register a business in Hawaii.

New businesses currently must visit a number of state agencies to cover all tax, unemployment, vehicle, fuel and other required state registrations.

The state registers about 30,000 new businesses a year and the new "basic business application form" will be all that is needed for most sole proprietorships, which make up about 25,000 of those businesses, said Gov. Ben Cayetano in announcing the one-stop form today.

In July, corporations and partnerships also will get a new simple form, the governor said.

Cayetano said the forms also will eliminate the need for neighbor islanders to go to several Honolulu agencies. Instead, they will be able to go to the state tax offices in Hilo, Wailuku and Lihue.

Forms will be available at state tax, labor and business registration offices and at the Business Action Center of the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism. They can be filed at any state tax office or by mail.