The Hawaii R&D tax credit, explained
Hawaii refunds an R&D credit equal to the federal credit for certified Qualified High Technology Businesses, capped at $5 million a year.
Last verified July 2026 against Hawaii Department of Taxation guidance.
The short answer
Yes, Hawaii has a state R&D tax credit called the Tax Credit for Research Activities, and it is one of the most generous in the country for the companies that qualify. It matches the federal research credit amount, dollar for dollar, and pays out as a refund even with no tax owed.
How the Hawaii credit works
The catch is eligibility. Only businesses certified as a Qualified High Technology Business can claim it. That generally means more than half the company's activity is qualified research, the business is registered in Hawaii, and it has fewer than 500 employees.
The credit is capped at $5 million a year statewide, awarded first come, first served, and the law is currently set to expire at the end of 2029 unless lawmakers extend it.
How it stacks with the federal credit
For a certified Hawaii startup, the state credit essentially doubles the value of qualified research spending, since it mirrors the federal credit amount on top of the federal credit itself.
The federal credit runs 6% to 10% of qualified spend, and a startup under $5 million in revenue can apply up to $500,000 of it against payroll taxes each year instead of income tax.
Example: an 8-person Hawaii team with $640,000 in qualified salaries could see a federal credit of roughly $45,000 to $64,000. A certified Qualified High Technology Business could receive a refundable Hawaii credit of a similar size on top, since the state credit is set equal to the federal amount, turning both into cash even in a year with no profit.
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Eligibility and how to claim it
A company must first get certified as a Qualified High Technology Business before it can claim the credit. This involves confirming that more than half of its activity is qualified research, that it is registered to do business in Hawaii, and that it has fewer than 500 employees.
Once certified, the company claims the credit on Form N-346, attached to the Hawaii income tax return, along with a copy of the federal Form 6765. Partnerships and S corporations pass the credit through to owners using Form N-346A.
The Hawaii Department of Taxation administers the return filing, while the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism oversees certification. The company's CPA handles both the certification paperwork and the tax filing.
Official source: Hawaii Department of Taxation.
Carryforward and deadlines
Hawaii runs an annual application window for certification, generally in the spring, and certification is required before claiming the credit for that year. Since the statewide cap is awarded first come, first served, applying early matters.
The credit is refundable, so there is no carryforward to plan around. It resets each year based on that year's certified qualified research spending.