Announcements: August 11, 2021

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Rotary Club of Kona to meet

The Rotary Club of Kona meets upstairs at Island Lava Java in Coconut Grove Marketplace on Alii Drive, from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday.

This week’s speaker will be Alexia Akbay, CEO and Founder of Symbrosia, a marine biotech company based in NELHA that is reducing livestock methane emissions with seaweed sustainably grown in Kona.

Rotary meetings are open to the public. Cost for lunch is $25. Parking is free. For more info, visit https://rotaryclubofkona.com.

North Hawaii hospital offers testing and vaccinations

COVID-19 testing is available for the public outside the Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital’s Emergency Room from 9 a.m to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Patients must have a physician’s order unless they are checking in to be seen by an Emergency Department physician. Patients are asked to park their vehicle and walk up to the ER entrance to complete the COVID-19 testing information sheet.

QNHCH offers the COVID-19 vaccination on Wednesdays and Fridays with no appointment necessary. Vaccinations are available 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the QNHCH COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Annex on the south side of hospital campus near the Emergency Room. There is no cost to patients for the vaccination and insurance is not required.

QNHCH offers both the Pfizer and the single-dose Johnson &Johnson vaccinations (subject to availability). The Pfizer vaccination is available to those 12 and older. The single-dose Johnson &Johnson vaccination is available to those 18 and older. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

For more information, visit www.nhch.com.

State reminds peer-to-peer car share users of taxes, rules

The state Department of Taxation (DOTAX) reminds taxpayers using peer-to-peer car sharing apps to obtain all proper registration and have a general excise tax license before conducting or engaging in any business.

Revenues derived from a car rental activity must be reported to DOTAX, and is subjected to the general excise tax, as well as the state income tax on revenues made, according to the department. In addition, taxpayers who rent their motor vehicle directly to another person without utilizing a marketplace facilitator app, will be subject to the general excise, net income, and daily rental vehicle surcharge tax.

Taxpayers should also be aware of any zoning or neighborhood regulations regarding operating a business, particularly from a residential location. Taxpayers may be subjected to state, federal, city and county fines if operating in an unauthorized area.

For more specific information regarding Peer-to-Peer Car-Sharing, refer to Tax Announcement 2021-04 and Tax Information Release 2019-03 on the department’s website at http://tax.hawaii.gov.