Accommodation Licensing & Tax information
Short-term Rentals of Residential Property
- All property owners who rent residential units (i.e. houses, condos, apartments, hotel rooms) for any length of time must obtain a Isle of Palms business license. Business licenses can be obtained at the City's Building, Planning and Zoning Department at 1207 Palm Boulevard. For more information, please call the office at 843-886-9912 or you can email Jeanne Garrett.
- Unless the property qualifies as the primary legal residence of the owner according to the SC Code of Laws, Section 12-43-220, the property will be assessed at 6% of the fair market value for purposes of calculating property taxes.
- South Carolina law states that all items of personal property used to furnish rental units shall be assessed for property tax purposes. The SC Code of Laws also requires that an annual report of valuation of this property be filed between January 1st and April 30th. More information can be obtained at the Charleston County Auditor's Office, 101 Meeting Street in Charleston (843-958-4000) or at the County's website, http://www.charlestoncounty.org.
- Residential Rentals for periods of 30 days or less (for Charleston County and City of Isle of Palms) or 90 days or less (for the State of SC) require collection and remittance of the following taxes:
Remit To: | % | Tax or Fee |
|---|---|---|
State of SC | 5.0% | State Sales Tax |
State of SC | 1.0% | Local Option Sales Tax |
State of SC | 1.0% | Charleston County Transportation Tax |
State of SC | 2.0% | State Accommodations Tax |
State of SC | 1.0% | Charleston County School Tax |
Charleston County | 2.0% | County of Charleston Accommodations Tax |
Charleston County | 1.0% | City of Isle of Palms Accommodations Tax |
Charleston County | 1.0% | City of Isle of Palms Beach Preservation Fee |
Total Tax | 14% |
While an owner can designate their agent to collect and remit these taxes, the property owner is ultimately responsible for the proper payment of these taxes.
Contact Information
Charleston County & City of Isle of Palms
Charleston County Business License/User Fee Dept
Britt Miller, Revenue Collections
Charleston County Government
843-202-6080
bmiller@charlestoncounty.org
State of South Carolina
Dept of Revenue Charleston District Office
843-852-3600
http://www.sctax.org
Failure to comply with these provisions could result in monetary penalties and interest charges.