The issue of the FMO Newsletter includes information about the following:
- eKFS – Go Live Delayed, Training Page Updated, Q&A Sessions Offered
- Quarterly Interest Rate for Late Vendor Payments
- Effective 3/18/26: eTravel Modifications to the Primary Category Fields
- Effective 7/1/26: Policy Changes Regarding Flat Rate Per Diem and FAR
- Understanding UH’s Most Requested Tax Forms; Form W-9 and Tax Exempt Certificates
The Financial Management Office Newsletter is distributed monthly. Should you have any questions about this newsletter, contact Amy Kunz via email: amykunz@hawaii.edu
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eKFS – Go Live Delayed, Training Page Updated, Q&A Sessions Offered
Target Audience: KFS Users
The deadline to switch over from Kuali Financial Systems (KFS) to the Kuali Cloud (eKFS) set for the week of March 23, 2026, will be delayed. The new eKFS go-live date will be communicated as soon as it is established. Our primary communication tool is the KFS-USERS listserv, so we kindly ask that all active KFS users remain subscribed to this listserv to receive the latest updates on eKFS. If you are not an active KFS user but would like to be notified of eKFS announcements, please subscribe to the KFS-USERS listserv.
Teams have been working to complete testing and resolve the identified issues, and we anticipate that, while the roll over will be delayed, the transition will happen in the near future. We understand the inconvenience of halting operations during a system shut down, and it is being taken in full consideration when the revised go-live date is selected. With any conversion there will be disruption to your operations, but throughout this project we have identified those issues, made adjustments well ahead of the conversion and are providing training on areas of impact.
eKFS user guides have been uploaded on our website, Training – Fiscal Services page. They will be listed separately from the KFS user guides, in alphabetical order with any related appendices and/or training videos. The KFS user guides will continue to be available until we convert to the new eKFS system. Please note that Â鶹´«Ã½login will be required to access these resources for security purposes.
The End User Training offered on February 23, 2026, was pre-recorded and is also available for . Please make sure that all employees who need to access eKFS participate in training as well as reviewing the available user guides and other resources. The success of eKFS is dependent on the users to take advantage of the training opportunities to limit the after-effects of post-conversion.
eKFS Live Q&A sessions are being offered this month, which will be used to answer any general questions you may have after viewing the End User Training pre-recording. The Q&A sessions will not be recorded but may be used to develop additional training resources and FAQs. Please click to register for any available sessions below:
If you have any questions, please contact the Fiscal Services Office at fissrv@hawaii.edu.
Quarterly Interest Rate for Late Vendor Payments
Target Audience: Fiscal Administrators
Pursuant to Section 103-10 of the Hawai`i Revised Statutes, the interest rate for obligations related to goods delivered or services performed remaining unpaid after 30 days is equal to the prime rate for each calendar quarter plus two percent. The interest rate is adjusted quarterly using the prime rate as posted in the Wall Street Journal on the first business day of the month preceding the calendar quarter. Please refer for the 3rd quarter interest rate and calculation.
Should there be any questions regarding this change, please call the Disbursing Office at (808) 956-5535.
Effective 3/18/26: eTravel Modifications to the Primary Category Fields
Target Audience: Fiscal Administrators and Fiscal Support Staff
Beginning March 18, 2026, the following modifications will be made to eTravel to facilitate the reporting requirements for internal review and legislative reporting:
- Updated Primary Category fields. Some of the categories were consolidated and/or removed from the drop-down list.
- Mandatory Meeting and Training Session “Yes” – “No” buttons have been added.
- The “Help?” button gives users examples of what constitutes a meeting and/or a training session.
If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact eTravel Help at etravel-help@lists.hawaii.edu.
Effective 7/1/26: Policy Changes Regarding Flat Rate Per Diem and FAR
Target Audience: Fiscal Administrators and Fiscal Support Staff
Pursuant to RP 9.216 and recent changes to the HGEA and UPW contracts, the flat rate per diem for all employees will be $30 for same-day travel effective July 1, 2026.
Additionally, travel reimbursements for Bargaining Units 01, 02, 03, 04, 09, 10 and 63 will follow the federal allowable rate (FAR) guidelines effective July 1, 2026.
Updates to eTravel have been implemented for travel dates of July 1, 2026, and beyond.
If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact eTravel Help at etravel-help@lists.hawaii.edu
Understanding UH’s Most Requested Tax Forms; Form W-9 and Tax Exempt Certificates
Target Audience: Fiscal Administrators and staff
Two of the most requested tax forms every year are: Form W-9 and the Tax exempt certificate. It may be useful for you to learn about it as explained below.
Form W-9:
- This form is required by payors for UH’s federal identification number to establish a payment relationship. It includes information such as name, federal ID number and address where the payment will be mailed.
- At year end, information from Form W-9 may be used for issuance of Form 1099-Misc by the payor.
- The W-9 form usually releases annual versions that differ by the indicated “revised date”.
- For assistance on this form, you may ask the Tax Services Office.
- Form W-9 does not expire as the form is kept at the payor’s office and is not sent to the IRS
Tax exempt certificate:
- The tax exempt certificate is issued by the State tax authority that certifies exemption of sales tax on tangible items sold.
- Â鶹´«Ã½does not need to obtain the “tax exempt certificate”. By virtue of being a state instrumentality, Â鶹´«Ã½is exempted from most federal taxes under the Internal Revenue Code section 115.
- If the requesting vendor has a Hawaii “general excise license” number - which means vendor has presence (adequate business activities) within Hawaii - then vendor has the right to impose general excise tax upon the sale of goods to UH. In this case, Â鶹´«Ã½is NOT exempt from the general excise tax on this purchase.
- If vendor has no business presence and no valid general excise tax number, then the vendor should not charge general excise tax to UH.
- Before paying “general excise tax” charged by a vendor, verify and request the general excise license issued by the State of Hawaii.
Should you have any questions on these forms, please contact Kenneth Lum at kenlum@hawaii.edu.