The Financial Checklist Before You Leave Hawaii

How do you close out Hawaii state tax residency?

In the year you move, you'll generally file a Hawaii part-year resident return (Form N-15), reporting all income while you were a resident and Hawaii-source income after you left. Hawaii's income tax brackets are among the higher state rates in the country, with a top rate of 11%, so the date you become a nonresident matters.

Keep evidence of your move: a mainland lease or deed, your new driver's license, voter registration, and the date your Hawaii home was sold or rented out. Keep any continuing Hawaii income, such as rent from a Hawaii property, on your radar. It usually stays taxable in Hawaii.

Forms and instructions are on the Hawaii Department of Taxation site.

What if you're self-employed and pay GET?

If you hold a general excise tax (GET) license for a business or side work, you'll need to file your final periodic and annual returns and cancel the license once you stop doing business in Hawaii. If you keep serving Hawaii clients from the mainland, ask a tax professional whether you still owe GET on that income. Don't just let the license lapse. Unfiled returns can generate notices long after you've moved.

See General Excise Tax on the Department of Taxation site.

Should you sell or rent out your Hawaii home?

HARPTA requires withholding on many sales by nonresident sellers. Selling before your residency changes, or applying for a waiver, can matter. Ask your escrow company and a tax adviser early. See HARPTA. Short-term rental rules vary by county and are strict on Oahu and Maui, so check before you list.

How do you end a Hawaii lease properly?

Under Hawaii's Residential Landlord-Tenant Code, a tenant on a month-to-month rental generally must give at least 28 days' written notice. A fixed-term lease is different. Your lease controls, and breaking it early can mean paying rent until a new tenant is found, though landlords generally must make reasonable efforts to re-rent.

Military members with PCS orders can usually terminate a lease under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. To get your security deposit back, document the unit's condition with photos at move-out and give your landlord a forwarding address in writing.

See the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code handbook.

Which accounts and utilities should you close?

• Electricity (Hawaiian Electric, KIUC on Kauai): schedule a stop date the day after you move out.
• Water, sewer and trash: county or landlord, depending on your home.
• Internet, cable and mobile plans: return equipment and get receipts.
• Gas service, if you have it.
• Hawaii vehicle registration and safety check: cancel or transfer after the car ships or sells.
• Local memberships, subscriptions and parking passes.
• Hawaii bank or credit union: decide whether to keep it. Many work fine from the mainland, and some don't.

How do you switch HMSA and other insurance?

Health insurance needs the most care, because a gap can be costly. Some Hawaii plans, including HMSA plans, include mainland access through national networks, but coverage when you live out of state is usually limited. Moving to a new state generally triggers a special enrollment period on the health insurance marketplace, typically for a limited window, so line up new coverage before your Hawaii plan ends.

Also review auto insurance (your new state sets its own minimums), renters or homeowners coverage at both ends, and valuation coverage for the move itself. See our valuation and insurance guide.

What about retirement, pensions and Social Security?

Your Hawaii employer retirement accounts, 401(k)s and 403(b)s, move with you, and you don't need to roll them over just because you've moved. State pensions, such as the Employees' Retirement System (ERS), keep paying when you live on the mainland. Update your address and tax withholding with each plan administrator.

How your new state taxes retirement income varies widely. Some states exempt pensions or Social Security, and others tax them. Check before you choose a destination if you're retired or close to it. Update your address with the Social Security Administration, too.

How do you build a realistic moving-year budget?

Which steps come after you arrive?

1. File a change of address with USPS and the IRS.
2. Get a new driver's license within your state's deadline.
3. Register and title your vehicle.
4. Register to vote at Vote.gov.
5. Update banks, employers, retirement plans and insurers.
6. Learn your new state's income, sales and property tax rules.

Each destination guide includes a first-30-days checklist. Start with our Money phase and where Hawaii families move. When you're ready to plan the move, our quote form connects you with a partner mover.