Pressure Washing Business Permit Requirements in Hilo, HI

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Hawaii Department of Taxation — General Excise Tax (GET) License

   Hawaii has no sales tax. Instead the state levies a General Excise Tax on the gross income of the business itself, and unlike a sales tax it reaches services, commissions and rent as well as goods. Every business must register for a GET licence with the Department of Taxation on Form BB-1 before doing business. The rate is 4% statewide, rising to 4.5% on Oahu because of the 0.5% county surcharge, and it is owed on gross income whether or not it is passed on to the customer.

   Official government source

   $20 one-time registration fee (Form BB-1)·Hawaii Tax ID issued immediately in person, in about 5–7 days online via Hawaii Tax Online, or 4–6 weeks by mail

   $20 one-time registration fee (Form BB-1)

   Hawaii Tax ID issued immediately in person, in about 5–7 days online via Hawaii Tax Online, or 4–6 weeks by mail

1. Hawaii State General Excise Tax (GET) License

   Hawaii County does not issue a general county business license. Every business operating in Hilo must obtain a State of Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) license, a one-time $20 filing with the Dept. of Taxation. Specific business types may need separate state or county permits.

   Official government source

   $20 one-time (State GET license; no general county business license exists)·Same day–1 week via Hawaii Tax Online

   $20 one-time (State GET license; no general county business license exists)

   Same day–1 week via Hawaii Tax Online

2. Stormwater Discharge Compliance (Hawaii County Public Works / DOH Clean Water Branch)

   Pressure washing wastewater must not be allowed to reach storm drains. Hawaii County's storm drain system is administered by the Department of Public Works, which enforces local stormwater rules, and any discharge to state waters requires an NPDES permit from the State Department of Health Clean Water Branch. In practice most operators capture and dispose of washwater to the sanitary sewer or through a licensed hauler rather than seeking a discharge permit.

   Official government source

   No routine permit fee for capture-and-dispose operation; NPDES permits from the DOH Clean Water Branch are charged under the state's own schedule when a discharge permit is actually needed·No permit needed where washwater is contained; NPDES coverage, if required, is a state application process rather than a county counter transaction

   No routine permit fee for capture-and-dispose operation; NPDES permits from the DOH Clean Water Branch are charged under the state's own schedule when a discharge permit is actually needed

   No permit needed where washwater is contained; NPDES coverage, if required, is a state application process rather than a county counter transaction

Official Sources

• County of Hawaii Finance Department
• Hawaii Department of Taxation — General Excise Tax License

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