South Carolina Tax Resources

From Beaufort County Property Tax to SC Income Tax and more, the info below can help navigate getting settled in Beaufort County.

Beaufort County Real Estate Taxes (Real Property)

Real Property consists of all land and the buildings, structures or improvement on the land.

There are several variables in the calculation of annual real estate taxes for any given property in Beaufort County, SC. The county has provided an online calculator – Beaufort County Tax Estimator – to help people determine ballpark property taxes.

Calculate your Estimated Taxes

The Beaufort County Tax Estimator allows you to add a “Total Taxable Value” into the first field.
Then, you will be asked to select either a 4% or 6% Assessment Ratio. Only primary residents qualify for 4%, while investment properties, second homes, and the like, require the 6% ratio.
Next, you will be asked to select a Millage District from the drop-down menu. You can reference the map of the Tax Districts & Millage Rates below. If you know your address, you can look up the parcel ID, which identifies your district HERE. Search by street address and then look for the Property ID. The Tax District is identified in the Property ID (PIN) by the first set of numbers following R.

Legal Residence Application (4% Exemption)
Real estate taxes automatically revert to 6% ratio at the time of sale. If you are a full-time resident, you can apply online for the 4% tax ratio exemption. The Assessor’s office provides a short video on how to fill out the form. Watch it HERE.

The application for Legal Residence can be found HERE.

ATI Fair Market Value Exemption from Property Tax (Point of Sale Exemption)
This one time exemption may apply the year in which you purchased property… In short, if you paid a higher sales price than the prior year’s Tax Assessor’s value of the property, there are potential tax savings for you. If, however, you paid less than the Tax Assessor’s value, then filing for the 6% Exemption won’t likely do much for you.

More detailed information about the ATI Fair Market Value Exemption and how to apply can be found HERE.

Homestead Exemption Benefit
The Homestead Exemption is a complete exemption of taxes on the first $50,000 in Fair Market Value of your Legal Residence for homeowners over age 65, totally and permanently disabled, or legally blind. Learn more about the Homestead Exemption HERE.

1031 Tax Exchange

If you’re thinking about selling an investment property or utilizing increased equity to invest in something new, you need to be thinking smart about taxes. In this video we cover 5 things you need to know about doing a 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange in 2023, including something called Delaware Statutory Trust (DST).

2023 Beaufort County Property Tax Assessments

Do you have questions about your Beaufort County Property Tax Assessment? Are you interested in filing a tax appeal?

Visit our trusted source for a cost-effective approach to handling Beaufort County appeals, IV360. Their property tax specialists can assess the merit of your case before spending unnecessary funds and they also offer support services like measurements or appraisals if you have hired a representative already.

Help with Property Tax Assessments From IV360

Personal Property / Vehicle Taxes

All things other than real estate which have value, such as cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, golf carts, airplanes, and items used in a business such as furniture, fixtures, and equipment, are taxed annually and must be registered.

Vehicles
You have 45 days to register your vehicle with the SC Department of Motor Vehicles. In most instances, you will need to use Form 4057.
Find the form and more information on Titling and Registering a vehicle in SC at scdmvonline.com/Vehicle-Owners/Moving-To-SC

Before you transfer your title and registration, you must pay any property taxes with your county treasurer.

Watercraft & Boats/Motors
All motorized boats and watercraft, as well as sailboats, are required to be registered through the SC Department of Natural Resources. For the application process, visit dnr.sc.gov/boating/Titling_and_Registration

Paying Taxes

Property Taxes are collected by the office of the Beaufort County Treasurer. The site has easy navigation for help and how to pay your bills.

South Carolina Income Taxes

South Carolina Taxes differentiate from other states as follows:

South Carolina 529 Education Plan – residents can contribute to their child’s education plan and take a deduction on their tax return to reduce the state tax liability to zero. It is a dollar-for-dollar deduction that allows you to save for your child’s college tuition and take advantage of tax savings. This is a no-brainer for a lot of taxpayers. Grandparents can take advantage of the deduction too.
At age 65, you receive a deduction for $15,000 dollars. This is an age-based reduction to your state taxes.
44% deduction for long term capital gains. Taxpayers who report long term capital gains are eligible to deduct 44% of the gain from their South Carolina return.

SC State Government Department of Revenue – Information on all types of state taxes, including individual income taxes, electronic filing and refund information, and tax mailing addresses

SC State Government Tax Publications – Guides, Brochures, Manuals