Business briefs

Advertiser Staff

War, SARS fear delay gathering

The Honolulu-based Pacific Basin Economic Council has postponed its annual conference scheduled for May 9 to 13 in Seoul, South Korea because of war-related and SARS fears.

"We were well-prepared to hold a safe meeting, but postponement is in the best interest of everyone," said PBEC President Dalton Tanonaka.

Military gets tax breaks

The state has released information on tax relief and extended deadlines for military members to file returns.

Members of the armed forces, Reserves and Hawaii National Guard are eligible for the tax-relief measures, including exclusion of combat pay from state taxes.

Those in combat zones or supporting combat operations can also wait to file their state returns. The state?s filing deadline for nonmilitary taxpayers is Monday.

More information on the military provisions is available from the Taxpayer Services Bureau at 587-4242.

Treasury Secretary John Snow has said service personnel will get an extension on their federal filing deadline and will have pay earned while in a combat zone excluded from income taxes.