Title 12, Taxation

The tax year for licensed motor vehicles begins with the last day of the month in which a registration required by Section 56-3-110 is issued and ends on the last day of the month in which the registration expires or is due to expire. A registration may not be issued for motor ve…

Any person who violates the provisions of Section 12-37-2610 is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for a period not to exceed thirty days, or both.

The tax payable on motor vehicles required to be licensed by Section 56-3-110 must be determined for a twelve-month licensing period, except when the license required is for a twenty-four month licensing period. In that case the tax payable on motor vehicles required to be licens…

When a motor vehicle is first taxable in a county the owner or person having control of the vehicle shall make a property tax return of it within forty-five days, as referenced in Section 56-3-210, and prior to applying for a license. The return shall be made to the auditor of th…

The auditor shall determine the assessed value of the motor vehicle and shall calculate the amount of taxes on the vehicle. However, in the case of motor vehicles whose model year is fifteen years or more prior to the tax year, the assessed value is fifty dollars and in the case …

For purposes of determining the appropriate assessment ratio used in the calculation of the assessed value of a motor vehicle and for defining those motor vehicles subject to the assessment ratios provided in Section 1(8)(B)(a) of Article X of the Constitution of this State, the …

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when a person is entitled to the homestead tax exemption provided by Section 12-37-250 of the 1976 Code and owns fee simple title to the homestead, and who thereafter creates a life estate for such person by conveyance of the remainder,…

(A) Each county auditor shall prepare a tax notice of all vehicles, except for vehicles described in Article 23, Chapter 37, Title 12, owned by the same person and licensed at the same time for each tax year within the two-year licensing period. A notice must describe the motor v…

(A) If a trustee holds legal title to a dwelling that is the legal residence of a beneficiary sixty-five years of age or older, or totally and permanently disabled, or blind, and the beneficiary uses the dwelling, the dwelling is exempt from property taxation in the amount and ma…

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall furnish to the auditor of each county a listing of license registration applications to be mailed to the owners of motor vehicles in the respective counties. The listings must be furnished to the auditor as soon as possible but not later tha…

If a license is transferred from one motor vehicle to another, no tax may be levied on the motor vehicle to which the license was transferred until the license expires.

The assessed value of the vehicle must be determined as of the first day of the month preceding the beginning of the tax year for the vehicles. The assessed values must be published in guides or manuals by the South Carolina Department of Revenue and provided to the auditor of ea…

A municipality may by contract authorize the county to assess and collect the municipal tax on motor vehicles. When so contracted, the provisions hereof shall be applicable to the municipal tax on vehicles. In such cases the duplicate and receipt above provided for shall also ref…

(A) As provided in Section 11-11-150, there must be credited to the Trust Fund for Tax Relief in a fiscal year an amount sufficient to pay the reimbursement provided by this section. From the trust fund, the department annually shall pay to the county treasurer of the county in w…

Except as provided in Section 12-37-2630, no return shall be required for personal property which is required by state law to be registered with an agency of the State. The provisions of this section shall be effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 1980.

The provisions of this article shall not apply to motor vehicles which are a part of the inventory held for sale by licensed motor vehicle dealers and which are operated on the highways under a dealer tag.

The provisions of this article do not apply to motor vehicles owned and licensed by motor vehicle dealers and operated on the highway with education license plates pursuant to Section 56-3-2320.

This article does not apply to motor vehicles on which is used a research and development license plate issued by the department pursuant to Section 56-3-2335.

The provisions of this article do not apply to motor vehicles held by a manufacturer and operated on the highway with manufacturer's license plates issued pursuant to Section 56-3-2330.

When the title to a licensed vehicle is transferred, or the owner of the vehicle becomes a legal resident of another state and registers the vehicle in the new state of residence, the license plate and registration certificate may be returned for cancellation. The license plate a…

(A) It is unlawful for a person to use the treasurer's receipt to obtain a motor vehicle license plate unless all municipal personal property taxes due in the county of his residence on a vehicle now or previously owned by the applicant have been paid. A person who knowingly viol…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall suspend the driver's license and vehicle registration of a person who fails to pay personal property tax on a vehicle. The request to suspend must be an electronic notification from the county treasurer of the county in which the tax is …

Notwithstanding another provision of law, requests for reimbursement for taxes not collected the previous year must not be received by the department before January first. These requests must be for the reimbursement of eligible accounts that accrue before the first penalty date …

(A) A county, municipality, school district, and special district in which a person who has reached the age of sixty-five years receives a homestead property tax exemption must be reimbursed for the exemption from the Trust Fund for Tax Relief. The reimbursement must be made by t…

As used in this article, unless the context requires otherwise: (A) "Motor carrier" means a person or legal entity who owns, controls, operates, manages, or leases a commercial motor vehicle, or bus for the transportation of property or persons in intrastate or interstate commerc…

The provisions contained in this article do not apply to small commercial motor vehicles that must be licensed, registered, and pay ad valorem taxes as otherwise provided by law.

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles annually shall assess, equalize, and apportion the valuation of all large commercial motor vehicles and buses of motor carriers registered for use in this State under the International Registration Plan or otherwise pursuant to Section 56-3-19…

The value of a motor carrier's large commercial motor vehicles and buses subject to road use fees in this State must be determined according to the South Carolina apportionment factor for the fleet of which the commercial vehicle is a part.

Notwithstanding another provision of law, a motor carrier registering a large commercial motor vehicle or bus must pay to the Department of Motor Vehicles the road use fee due on the vehicle at the time and in the manner the person pays the registration fees on the vehicle pursua…

Any incorporated municipality in this State may by ordinance provide for homestead exemptions from municipal ad valorem taxes on real property for persons eligible for such exemptions under Section 12-37-250 and in amounts not exceeding those provided in that section. Exemptions …

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall assess annually the road use fee due on large commercial motor vehicles and buses based on the value determined in Section 12-37-2820 and an average millage for all purposes statewide for the preceding calendar year and shall publish the ave…

(A) In addition to the property tax exemptions allowed pursuant to Section 12-37-220, one hundred percent of the fair market value of semitrailers and trailers as defined in Section 12-37-2810, and commonly used in combination with a large commercial motor vehicle, as defined pur…

Seventy-five percent of the revenues from the road use fee assessed pursuant to Section 12-37-2850, and the one-time fee assessed pursuant to Section 12-37-2860 must be distributed by the State Treasurer as provided in Section 12-37-2870. Distributions must be made by the last da…

The distribution of the fee revenues required to be distributed pursuant to Section 12-37-2865 for each county must be determined on the ratio of total federal and state highway miles within each county during the preceding calendar year to the total federal and state highway mil…

(A) In addition to the property tax exemptions allowed pursuant to Section 12-37-220, one hundred percent of the fair market value of all large commercial motor vehicles and buses registered for use in this State is exempt from property tax and is instead subject to the road use …

The first fifty thousand dollars of the fair market value of the dwelling place of persons shall be exempt from county, school and special assessment real estate property taxes when such persons have been residents of this State for at least one year, have each reached the age of…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the payment of real property taxes on or before March fifteenth following the year for which homestead tax exemption is claimed shall not be a condition to qualify for the exemption.

Taxes for township, school, municipal and all other purposes provided for or allowed by law shall be levied on the same assessment, which shall be that made for county taxes.

This article may be cited as the "South Carolina Real Property Valuation Reform Act".

The value of real property for purposes of the imposition of the property tax is subject to the provisions of this article. Except where inconsistent, the provisions of this article are in addition to and not in lieu of other provisions of law applicable to the valuation of real …

As used in this article: (1) "Additions" or "improvements" mean an increase in the value of an existing parcel of real property because of: (a) new construction; (b) reconstruction; (c) major additions to the boundaries of the property or a structure on the property; (d) remodeli…

(A) As used in this section: (1) "ATI fair market value" means the fair market value of a parcel of real property and any improvements thereon as determined by appraisal at the time the parcel last underwent an assessable transfer of interest. (2) "Current fair market value" mean…

(A)(1) For property tax years beginning after 2006, the fair market value of real property is its fair market value applicable for the later of: (a) the base year, as defined in subsection (C) of this section; (b) December thirty-first of the year in which an assessable transfer …

(A) For purposes of determining when a parcel of real property must be appraised, an assessable transfer of interest in real property includes, but is not limited to, the following: (1) a conveyance by deed; (2) a conveyance by land contract; (3) a conveyance to a trust, except i…

(A) The Department of Revenue may promulgate regulations to implement this article, including, without limitation, providing for those circumstances that constitute a change in the beneficial ownership of real property or an assessable transfer of interest not evidenced by transf…

(A) Nothing in this article affects the provisions of Section 12-43-220(d) that define and apply to "fair market value for agricultural purposes" for real property in agricultural use. (B) Except as provided in Section 12-37-3150(9), this article does not affect the eligibility r…