President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden released their 2011 tax returns on Friday. The Obamas’ adjusted gross income last year was $789,674, and they paid $162,074 in tax, making their effective tax rate about 21 percent. (Click here to view their complete filing.) 

Tax fairness has become a central issue in the 2012 presidential race, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney came under intense pressure to release his returns — and eventually did so — earlier this year.  

Hawaii candidates for federal office have been cagey about their tax returns. Only Republican Senate candiate John Carroll released his returns. Hawaii’s leading House and Senate candidates have declined to lead the way, telling Civil Beat that they’ll make public their returns only if their opponents do so first. 

Since members of Congress are potentially in the position to shape tax policy, Civil Beat asked candidates to share three years of records so the public could determine how any potential policy changes might affect their representatives and senators.