A refund cannot exist unless there is a payment first. That sounds simple enough but this can get confusing when the timing isn't what the customer expects or a mortgage company is involved.
There are a few different situations that would cause a refund to be created, like an overpayment or as a result of an account adjustment made by the Beaufort County Assessor's or Auditor's Offices. Who receives the refund is governed by South Carolina State Law and varies based on what caused the refund in the first place.
Here is a summary of how refunds are disbursed.
If an account was… |
The refund will be distributed to… |
|---|---|
|
Adjusted due to a value appeal |
Whoever filed the appeal. |
|
Overpaid |
Whoever paid the taxes. |
|
Removed from the installment program |
Whoever paid the taxes. |
|
Corrected |
The current owner of record. |
|
Adjusted due to a Legal Residence Application |
The current owner of record. |
Helpful Hints!
Our most frequently asked questions are about mortgage company payments so let's review some examples. If your mortgage company paid your taxes and then you apply for the Legal Residence Exemption, the adjustment happened after the payment so YOU get the refund. We mentioned earlier that timing matters so here is a slightly different scenario. Now let's say you applied for the Legal Residence Exemption AND THEN your mortgage company pays your taxes. Because the payment happened after the adjustment, it is an overpayment and your mortgage company would receive the refund.