§237-39 Audits; procedure, penalties. (a) For the purpose of verification or audit of a return made by the taxpayer, or where there is reasonable ground to believe that any return made is so deficient as not to form the basis of a satisfactory assessment of the tax, or for the purpose of making an assessment where no return has been made, the department of taxation or the Multistate Tax Commission pursuant to chapter 255, or the authorized representative thereof, may examine all account books, bank books, bank statements, records, vouchers, taxpayer's copies of federal tax returns, and any and all other documents and evidence having any relevancy to the determination of the gross income or gross proceeds of sales of any taxpayer as required to be returned under this chapter and may summon or require the attendance of the person by or for whom the return, if any, has been made or whose tax is being assessed, and any employee of the person, and may summon or require the attendance of any person having knowledge in the premises, naming the time and place in the summons, and may require the production of any books, statements, or other evidence open to examination, and may take testimony in reference to any matter relevant to the gross income or gross proceeds of sales of the taxpayer for the period under consideration, with power to require that the person so called and appearing shall be interrogated under oath and to administer the oath.
(b) If the department determines that any gross income or gross proceeds of sales liable to the tax have not been assessed, the department may assess the same as provided in sections 237-36 and 237-38.
(c) Any individual knowingly giving false testimony under oath at any hearing before the department shall be guilty of perjury and shall be punished as provided by law.
(d) Any person refusing or neglecting to obey any summons issued by the department, and any individual appearing and refusing to testify under oath, shall be fined $50 for the first offense and $100 for each succeeding offense. [L 1941, c 265, §7; RL 1945, §5470; RL 1955, §117-34; am L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §16; HRS §237-39; am L 1974, c 139, §6; am L 2017, c 12, §50]