§236E-18 Administration by department; action for collection of tax; appeal. The department may collect the taxes provided for in this chapter, including applicable interest and penalties, and shall represent the State in all matters pertaining to this chapter, before any court or in any other manner. The department, through the attorney general, may institute proceedings for the collection of the taxes and any interest and penalties on the taxes.

The circuit court for any county that has assumed lawful jurisdiction over the property of the decedent for general probate or administration purposes under the laws of the State shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine all questions in relation to the Hawaii estate tax arising under this chapter. If there are no probate or administration proceedings in any court of the State, the following court shall have jurisdiction:

(1) If the decedent was a resident, the circuit court for the county in which the decedent was a resident; or

(2) If the decedent was a nonresident, any court that has jurisdiction over the property of the decedent, the transfer of which is taxable, to issue probate or administration proceedings thereon, had the same been justified by the legal status of the property or had the same been applied for.

Any court first acquiring jurisdiction shall retain the same to the exclusion of every other. The tax appeal court shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine all questions in relation to the generation-skipping transfer tax arising under this chapter.

Any person aggrieved by any assessment of the tax imposed by this chapter may appeal from the assessment to a court of competent jurisdiction within the time set forth in section 235-114. The distribution of taxes paid pending the appeal shall be as provided in chapter 232. [L 2012, c 220, pt of §1]