Property tax appeal · South Carolina
Appeal your property taxes in South Carolina.
In South Carolina, the county assessor sets your value and the county Board of Assessment Appeals hears your case. Boards act on evidence of market value as of the assessment date, and a licensed, USPAP-compliant appraisal is that evidence.
$5, credited toward your appraisal.
South Carolina
5 county pages below
- Values your home
- County assessor
- Hears your case
- County Board of Assessment Appeals
- Desktop appraisal
- $225
- $5 check credited
- Timing
- Confirmed with your order
Deadline
You have 90 days from the date on your assessment notice to file a written objection with the county assessor. In years with no notice, you can still initiate an appeal — timing rules differ, so ask your assessor’s office.
Confirm your filing window and recipient requirements before ordering. Service availability and delivery depend on the property, evidence and appraiser. You remain responsible for filing on time.
How it works
How to appeal your property taxes in South Carolina.
- Step 1
Check your savings
Enter your address and pay $5. We check your South Carolina assessment against recent nearby sales.
- Step 2
Order the appraisal
A desktop appraisal valued as of your assessment date, with the $5 credited. Complex homes get one exact quote.
- Step 3
Show us your home
Walk through on your phone so the appraiser sees its condition. A desktop appraisal needs no visit.
- Step 4
File your appeal
A state-licensed SC appraiser signs it, with a cover letter and filing steps. You file by your deadline, and the county Board of Assessment Appeals hears your case.
The evidence
Boards act on value, not frustration.
However South Carolina labels the process, the case underneath is the same: show what your home was actually worth on the assessment date. A licensed, USPAP-compliant appraisal, with comparable sales, documented adjustments and a signed opinion of value, is that showing.
What the appraisal gives you
- Valued as of your assessment date, not today
- Comparable sales with adjustments and citations
- Signed by a state-licensed SC appraiser
- A phone walkthrough; a desktop appraisal needs no visit
Confirm before you file
- Your filing deadline, from your assessment notice
- Appraiser availability and delivery timing, before you order
The process
How South Carolina handles appeals.
South Carolina counties reassess on a five-year cycle, and the appeal starts with a written objection to the county assessor within 90 days of the assessment notice. The assessor reviews and responds; if you’re still apart, the county Board of Assessment Appeals hears the case, with the Administrative Law Court beyond that. Two South Carolina features shape the strategy: the owner-occupied “legal residence” ratio taxes your home at 4% instead of 6%, and reassessment-year increases on existing owners are capped at 15% — but a purchase resets value to market under the point-of-sale rules, which is why recent buyers so often find the most to fix.
Worth knowing in South Carolina
Before fighting the value, confirm your 4% legal residence ratio is actually applied — it isn’t automatic, and it’s the single biggest lever on the bill. The valuation fight itself turns on market value as of the applicable assessment date, which comparable-sales evidence in the form of a licensed appraisal establishes.
FAQ
South Carolina questions
How long do I have to appeal a South Carolina assessment?
90 days from the date on your assessment notice to file a written objection with the county assessor. Unresolved objections go to the county Board of Assessment Appeals.
Why did my taxes jump after buying a home in South Carolina?
A sale removes the 15% reassessment cap and resets the taxable value to market under the point-of-sale rules — and you must apply for the 4% legal residence ratio yourself. Check both, then check whether the new value overshoots what comparable sales support.
What is the 4% vs 6% assessment ratio?
Owner-occupied legal residences are assessed at 4% of value; other property at 6%. It’s an application, not automatic — and it stacks with any valuation reduction you win on appeal.
