Kuleana is often translated as responsibility, but it means more than that. It is also a right, a privilege, an area of authority: the things that are yours to care for. Someone who says “that’s my kuleana” is claiming both the duty and the honor of it.
When a Hawaiʻi business owner trusts us with their books, payroll and taxes, that becomes our kuleana. We think of it as both.
What is ours to care for
- Your records. Complete, organized and kept so that you, your lender or an auditor can find what they need.
- Your confidentiality. Your payroll, your profits and your personal tax information stay private. Only the people who need to see them do.
- Your deadlines. GET, TAT, payroll and tax due dates belong on our calendar so you aren’t chasing them.
- Your peace of mind. Knowing where you stand at the end of every month.
Knowing what isn’t ours
Kuleana also means knowing the edges of your responsibility. We are accountants. We will tell you when a question belongs with an attorney, an insurance agent or a financial advisor, and help you find one. We would rather send you to the right person than guess.
The privilege part
Small businesses are what make our island communities work: the restaurant where everybody eats on Friday, the contractor who fixed the neighbor’s roof, the B&B that keeps a family on its land. Helping those businesses run well is a privilege, and we don’t take it lightly.
How we hold ourselves to it
A CPA reviews every month’s work. Fees are fixed and quoted in advance. And if we ever fall short of our kuleana, we will tell you first and make it right.
If you’d like us to carry some of that kuleana for you, book a free 30-minute call.
Read about all seven of our values on the Kōkua Financial home page.