South Carolina business tax and reinstatement guides

Plain-English answers built from South Carolina law and SCDOR's own pages, each with its sources.

• How to reinstate a dissolved South Carolina corporation
  The steps to bring a dissolved or forfeited South Carolina corporation back into good standing: missing returns, SCDOR balances, the $60 Certificate of Tax Compliance, and the Secretary of State filing.
• South Carolina late filing and late payment penalties, explained
  How South Carolina calculates late filing and late payment penalties under SC Code 12-54-43: 5% a month and 0.5% a month, each capped at 25%, with worked examples.
• I moved out of South Carolina. Do I still have to deal with my old business?
  Moving away does not end an old South Carolina company’s filing obligations. The three dates that matter, why unfiled years can still be assessed, and what to do next.
• S corporation owners: what you owe South Carolina, and what the company owes
  An S corporation and its owner are separate taxpayers. How South Carolina taxes S corporation income, the top rate for each year, and the 5% nonresident shareholder withholding.
• South Carolina business personal property tax: how it is calculated
  How South Carolina taxes business equipment: 10.5% of net depreciated value times local millage, who must file, and 2025 millage for every county.
• The South Carolina Certificate of Tax Compliance (C-268)
  What the South Carolina Certificate of Tax Compliance is, the $60 fee, the 30-day validity, and what has to be in order before SCDOR issues it.
• The South Carolina corporate license fee
  How the South Carolina corporate license fee is calculated: 0.1% of capital stock and paid-in surplus plus $15, with a $25 minimum, and why it keeps accruing for inactive corporations.
• Old unfiled South Carolina tax returns: do they ever expire?
  South Carolina’s 36-month assessment limit does not apply when a return was never filed, and the 10-year collection limit starts at assessment. What that means for old years.
• Does South Carolina tax business computers, furniture and equipment?
  Yes. South Carolina taxes business furniture, fixtures, computers, machinery and equipment every year as business personal property. What counts, who files, and how to estimate it.
• My S corporation did not file, but I filed my personal returns. What happens?
  When the owner filed personal returns but the S corporation never filed its SC1120S: what is still owed, why the corporate returns come first, and whether the personal returns need amending.
• Does a South Carolina S corporation have to file with no income?
  Yes. SCDOR says the SC1120S is due every year regardless of income or business, and the yearly license fee still applies. What that means for inactive companies.
• My South Carolina corporation stopped operating years ago. What do I owe?
  A corporation that stopped operating can still owe returns and license fees for every year it legally existed. How to work out which years matter and what may be owed.

Not tax, legal or accounting advice. TaxTrack by ExpenseTrack gives estimates for general information and planning only. It estimates and organizes; it does not prepare or file returns. Actual tax, penalties, interest and reinstatement requirements are determined by the South Carolina Department of Revenue, county offices and the Secretary of State. Talk to a qualified CPA, enrolled agent or tax attorney about your situation.