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Sales tax on labor in Hawaii: the general excise tax covers labor on every kind of job
In Hawaii the tax is the general excise tax, a tax on the business's receipts rather than a sales tax, and it covers labor on every kind of job: repairs, installation and new construction. Read from Hawaii's own revenue pages, checked November 6, 2026, with every answer quoted below.
The tax in Hawaii
General excise tax, not a sales tax. Hawaii's tax is the General Excise Tax (GET), a tax on the business's gross receipts from almost all activity — goods, services and construction included. You owe it on your labor whether or not you show it on the bill; you may pass it on to the customer, and if you do, the amount passed on counts as gross receipts too.
- “GET is NOT a sales tax. A sales tax is a tax on the customer, which businesses must collect. GET is a tax on the business itself. Businesses may choose to pass the GET on to customers, but they are not required to do so.” — Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) (Hawaii Department of Taxation), no date on the page
- “If GET is passed on to customers, it must be included in gross receipts.” — Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) (Hawaii Department of Taxation), no date on the page
- “A business is not required to separately state an amount of the sales price representing a GET pass-on, but if the tax is passed on, it becomes part of the taxable gross receipts of the business.” — Tax Facts 2019-1, General Excise Tax (Hawaii Department of Taxation), page date: Revised April 2025
Repairing a thing in Hawaii
Taxed.
- “It is imposed on the gross income or gross receipts of virtually all business activity conducted in Hawaii, including sales of goods, services, rents, commissions, construction, and other business transactions.” — Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) (Hawaii Department of Taxation), no date on the page
Repairing a home or building in Hawaii
Taxed. GET applies to construction contracting and services on your gross receipts, labor included.
- “It is imposed on the gross income or gross receipts of virtually all business activity conducted in Hawaii, including sales of goods, services, rents, commissions, construction, and other business transactions.” — Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) (Hawaii Department of Taxation), no date on the page
- “Selling retail goods and services, renting, leasing real property, construction contracting, earning commissions, all others 4.5%* ... *This 4.5% rate includes a 0.5% county surcharge.” — Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) (Hawaii Department of Taxation), no date on the page
Installation work in Hawaii
Taxed. GET applies to services and construction, so installation charges are part of your taxable gross receipts.
- “It is imposed on the gross income or gross receipts of virtually all business activity conducted in Hawaii, including sales of goods, services, rents, commissions, construction, and other business transactions.” — Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) (Hawaii Department of Taxation), no date on the page
New construction in Hawaii
Taxed. Construction contracting is taxed under GET at the general (retail) rate on gross receipts.
- “It is imposed on the gross income or gross receipts of virtually all business activity conducted in Hawaii, including sales of goods, services, rents, commissions, construction, and other business transactions.” — Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) (Hawaii Department of Taxation), no date on the page
- “Selling retail goods and services, renting, leasing real property, construction contracting, earning commissions, all others 4.5%* ... *This 4.5% rate includes a 0.5% county surcharge.” — Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) (Hawaii Department of Taxation), no date on the page
Listing labor separately on the bill in Hawaii
Not checked here. No quote shown here rules on listing labor separately in Hawaii.
- “with no deductions for business expenses such as materials, labor, travel, office supplies, or other costs of doing business.” — Tax Facts 2019-1, General Excise Tax (Hawaii Department of Taxation), page date: Revised April 2025
Trade services Hawaii taxes
The services Hawaii's own pages name as taxed, each in the page's words:
- Virtually all services (GET): “It is imposed on the gross income or gross receipts of virtually all business activity conducted in Hawaii, including sales of goods, services, rents, commissions, construction, and other business transactions.”
Where Hawaii's list of services comes from
- “It is imposed on the gross income or gross receipts of virtually all business activity conducted in Hawaii, including sales of goods, services, rents, commissions, construction, and other business transactions.” — Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) (Hawaii Department of Taxation), no date on the page
What was not checked for Hawaii
- Who pays the general excise tax on the materials a contractor buys, and the deduction for work done by subcontractors, were not confirmed from an official Hawaii page.
- The "Revised April 2025" date of Tax Facts 2019-1 comes from the department's listing, not from inside the document.
Check with the Hawaii Department of Taxation
Before you bill: check with the Hawaii Department of Taxation. As of November 6, 2026.
This is a plain-words summary of each state's own revenue guidance as of November 6, 2026, not tax advice. Rules have exceptions, and cities and counties can add taxes of their own. Check with the state's tax department, linked on every state's page, before you bill.
Compare Hawaii with every state's answer.
Official sources for Hawaii
- Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) (Hawaii Department of Taxation) — no date shown
- Tax Facts 2019-1, General Excise Tax (Hawaii Department of Taxation) — Revised April 2025
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