Hawaii GET Pass-On Calculator
Pass on the GET and keep your price.
Type a price and pick your island. You will see the most GET you can add, the total to charge, and what is inside a total that already has GET in it.
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Nothing you type here leaves this page. The math runs on your own screen, and using it won’t put you on a mailing list.
All four counties add the 0.5% surcharge in 2026, so today the answer is the same on every island.
To keep $1,000.00 on Oahu
Charge $1,047.12. That is $47.12 of GET on top of your price.
If $1,000.00 already includes GET
The tax rate on Oahu is 4.5% (4% state plus the 0.5% county surcharge), but GET is charged on everything you take in, the GET you collect included. That is why you can add up to 4.712% on top of your price, not just 4.5%.
Rates checked against tax.hawaii.gov on 15 October 2026. The Department of Taxation’s county surcharge page
This is for retail sales and services at the general rate. Wholesale, insurance commissions and other special rates work differently, so ask me about those. Plain arithmetic, rounded to the cent, and not tax advice.
Why
Why the most is 4.712%, not 4.5%.
GET is a tax on your business, not on your customer. When you add it to an invoice, the GET you collect is income too, and GET is owed on it.
So adding 4.5% leaves you a little short. Add 4.5% to a $1,000 sale and you collect $45.00, but the tax on the $1,045.00 you took in is just over $47, and the difference comes out of your price.
Adding 4.712% covers it. On $1,000 that is $47.12, and 4.5% of $1,047.12 is $47.12, so you keep the full $1,000.
Passing GET on is your choice. You can add less, or none, but 4.712% is the most you can show on the invoice as GET.
Questions
Questions About Passing On GET
Can I charge my customers 4.712% GET?
Yes, if you choose to. In 2026, 4.712% is the most GET you can pass on in every county, so a $1,000 sale can carry $47.12. You can add less, or none.
Why is the GET pass-on rate higher than 4.5%?
Because GET is charged on everything you take in, the GET you collect included. Adding 4.712% covers the tax on that too, so you keep your full price.
Is GET the same on every island in 2026?
Yes. Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii Island and Kauai all add the 0.5% county surcharge to the 4% state rate, so GET is 4.5% everywhere and the most you can pass on is 4.712%. The surcharges run through 31 December 2030.
Do I have to charge my customers GET?
No. GET is a tax on your business, not on your customer, and you owe it either way. Passing it on is your choice.
What is the GET rate on wholesale sales?
Wholesale sales are taxed at 0.5%, and the county surcharge does not apply at that rate. This calculator is for retail sales and services at the general 4.5%.
Ink & Crucible
A short note from me, now and then.
Money, books and running a small business in Hawaii, in plain words.
Make sure your GET adds up.
I go through your QuickBooks and show you what I find, whether or not you hire me.