Law Offices of Kurt Kawafuchi LLLC

Kurt is a fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel and a Certified Specialist, Taxation Law, State Bar of California Board of Specialization. He is a Certified Public Accountant (Hawaii-Not in Public Practice) and (California-Retired). Kurt earned his graduate law degree in taxation (LL.M. in Taxation) from Georgetown University Law Center.

Kurt has served in various leadership roles within professional organizations, including chairing the Hawaii State Bar Tax Section and the HSCPA Tax Committee (as well as serving as a director). He has also been on the Advisory Board of the Hawaii Tax Institute and the UCLA Annual Tax Controversy Institute. Additionally, Kurt has served as a director of the California Society of CPAs Los Angeles Chapter Asian Business Forum and the State Bar of California Tax Section Executive Committee. In 2018, he chaired the Washington, D.C. Delegation.

In recognition of his contributions, Kurt has received awards from the AICPA and HSCPA. He was also the President of the Western States Association of Tax Administrators, an association of state revenue departments in the Western United States.

Kurt is a sought-after speaker at national, state, and local taxation conferences, including the NYU State & Local Taxation Institute, Georgetown Advanced State & Local Taxation Institute, and UCLA Tax Controversy Institute. He has also presented at events such as the California Bar Tax Section’s Annual Meeting, the Annual Estate and Gift Tax Conference, and the Hawaii Tax Institute.

Furthermore, Kurt has shared his expertise as a lecturer at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Richardson School of Law, and the Shidler College of Business Administration, School of Accountancy, Graduate Program. He teaches various taxation courses, including Multijurisdictional (international and state and local taxation), Partnership and S Corporation Taxation, Estate and Gift Taxation and Planning, Advanced Corporate Taxation, and Taxation of Entities.

In addition to his teaching and speaking engagements, Kurt is a co-author of “Taxes of Hawaii: A Comprehensive Guide for Taxpayers and Tax Professionals,” spanning editions from 2016 to 2024, published by Watermark Publishing.