In order to resolve a delinquent balance, the account must be paid through American Financial Credit Services (AFCS), Beaufort County's collection agency. However, there are situations where a customer may not owe some or all of the taxes outstanding—for example, if you closed your business but did not notify the South Carolina Department of Revenue(DOR), a tax will continue to be assessed. Here are a few things you can do to evaluate your tax bill.
If the business was operational during the tax years in question...
Ensure that you are in agreement with the property value, which can be found on your tax bill.
If you think you may have missed filing an annual return with DOR for one or more years, an estimated value may have been used. When that occurs, the estimated value can be higher than your actual value, causing your taxes to be higher than necessary.
Contact DOR at (803) 898-5222 (Option 2) to inquire about the values and your filing status to ensure all of your filings are completed and up to date. If they are not, DOR may ask you to file a Business Personal Property Return form (also called a PT-100) for each operational year.
For any other assistance with values, you may contact the Beaufort County Auditor's Office online or by calling 843-255-2500. They are the team that assesses values on all business and personal property.
If the business was not operational during the tax years in question...
Contact DOR at (803) 898-5222 (Option 2) to ensure they have your business listed as closed or not in operation. If they do not, DOR may ask you to file a Business Personal Property Return form (also called a PT-100) to update their records that the business is closed.
How to File a Business Personal Property Return...
If you are asked to file or update a Business Personal Property Return form, here are the ways you can do that:
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Online: Go to MyDorWay. If you are a first-time user, review the User Guide and sign up for an account.
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Email: Complete a Business Personal Property Return (PT-100) form and email it to the South Carolina Department of Revenue at bpproperty@dor.sc.gov.
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US Postal mail: Complete a Business Personal Property Return (PT-100) form and mail it to: South Carolina Department of Revenue, Business Personal Property Section, Columbia, SC 29214-0301.
Once filed, DOR will communicate any valuation changes with the Beaufort County Auditor's Office, who may adjust the values on your tax bill and the amounts due. Should this result in your tax bill being reduced or eliminated, the Treasurer's Office will automatically update AFCS.