2017 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 12 - Taxation
CHAPTER 65 - SOUTH CAROLINA TEXTILES COMMUNITIES REVITALIZATION ACT
Section 12-65-30. Tax credit entitlement.

(A) Subject to the terms and conditions of this chapter, a taxpayer who rehabilitates a textile mill site is eligible for either:

(1) a credit against real property taxes levied by local taxing entities; or

(2) a credit against income taxes imposed pursuant to Chapter 6 and Chapter 11 of this title or corporate license fees pursuant to Chapter 20 of this title, or insurance premium taxes imposed by Chapter 7, Title 38, or any of them.

(B) If the taxpayer elects to receive the credit pursuant to subsection (A)(1), the following provisions apply:

(1) The taxpayer shall file a Notice of Intent to Rehabilitate with the municipality, or the county if the textile mill site is located in an unincorporated area, in which the textile mill site is located before incurring its first rehabilitation expenses at the textile mill site. Failure to provide the Notice of Intent to Rehabilitate results in qualification of only those rehabilitation expenses incurred after notice is provided.

(2) Once the Notice of Intent to Rehabilitate has been provided to the county or municipality, the municipality or the county shall first by resolution determine the eligibility of the textile mill site and the proposed rehabilitation expenses for the credit. A proposed rehabilitation of a textile mill site must be approved by a positive majority vote of the local governing body. For purposes of this subsection, "positive majority vote" is as defined in Section 6-1-300(5). If the county or municipality determines that the textile mill site and the proposed rehabilitation expenses are eligible for the credit, there must be a public hearing and the municipality or county shall approve the textile mill site for the credit by ordinance. Before approving a textile mill site for the credit, the municipality or county shall make a finding that the credit does not violate a covenant, representation, or warranty in any of its tax increment financing transactions or an outstanding general obligation bond issued by the county or municipality.

(3)(a) The amount of the credit is equal to twenty-five percent of the actual rehabilitation expenses made at the textile mill site times the local taxing entity ratio of each local taxing entity that has consented to the credit pursuant to item (4), if the actual rehabilitation expenses incurred in rehabilitating the textile mill site are between eighty percent and one hundred twenty-five percent of the estimated rehabilitation expenses set forth in the Notice of Intent to Rehabilitate. If the actual rehabilitation expenses exceed one hundred twenty-five percent of the estimated expenses set forth in the Notice of Intent to Rehabilitate, the taxpayer qualifies for the credit based on one hundred twenty-five percent of the estimated expenses as opposed to the actual expenses it incurred in rehabilitating the textile mill site. If the actual rehabilitation expenses are below eighty percent of the estimated rehabilitation expenses, the credit is not allowed. The ordinance must provide for the credit to be taken as a credit against up to seventy-five percent of the real property taxes due on the textile mill site each year for up to eight years.

(b) The local taxing entity ratio is set as of the time the Notice of Intent to Rehabilitate is filed and remains set for the entire period that the credit may be claimed by the taxpayer.

(4) Not fewer than forty-five days before holding the public hearing required by subsection (B)(2), the governing body of the municipality or county shall give notice to all affected local taxing entities in which the textile mill site is located of its intention to grant a credit against real property taxes for the textile mill site and the amount of estimated credit proposed to be granted based on the estimated rehabilitation expenses. If a local taxing entity does not file an objection to the tax credit with the municipality or county on or before the date of the public hearing, the local taxing entity is considered to have consented to the tax credit.

(5) The credit against real property taxes for each applicable phase or portion of the textile mill site may be claimed beginning for the property tax year in which the applicable phase or portion of the textile mill site is first placed in service.

(C) If the taxpayer elects to receive the credit pursuant to subsection (A)(2), the following provisions apply:

(1) The amount of the credit is equal to twenty-five percent of the actual rehabilitation expenses made at the textile mill site.

(2) If the taxpayer has acquired the textile mill site after December 31, 2007, the provisions of this item (2) apply to the textile mill site; provided, however, that transfers between affiliated taxpayers of phases of any textile mill site may not be deemed an acquisition for this purpose. The taxpayer shall file with the department a Notice of Intent to Rehabilitate prior to receiving the building permits for the applicable rehabilitation at the textile mill site or phase thereof. Failure to provide the Notice of Intent to Rehabilitate prior to receiving the building permits for the applicable rehabilitation at the textile mill site or phase thereof results in qualification of only those rehabilitation expenses incurred after the notice is provided. If the actual rehabilitation expenses exceed one hundred twenty-five percent of the estimated expenses set forth in the Notice of Intent to Rehabilitate, the taxpayer qualifies for the credit based on one hundred twenty-five percent of the estimated expenses as opposed to the actual expenses incurred in rehabilitating the textile mill site.

(3) The entire credit is earned in the taxable year in which the applicable phase or portion of the textile mill site is placed in service but must be taken in equal installments over a five-year period beginning with the tax year in which the applicable phase or portion of the textile mill site is placed in service. Unused credit may be carried forward for the succeeding five years, at the individual, partnership or limited liability company level.

(4) If the taxpayer qualifies for both the credit allowed by this subsection and the credit allowed pursuant to Section 12-6-3535, the taxpayer may claim both credits.

(5) Reserved.

(6)(a) If the taxpayer leases the textile mill site, or part of the textile mill site, the taxpayer may transfer any applicable remaining credit associated with the rehabilitation expenses incurred with respect to that part of the site to the lessee of the site. The provisions of item (7) of this subsection apply to a lessee that is an entity taxed as a partnership. If a taxpayer sells the textile mill site, or any phase or portion of the textile mill site, the taxpayer may transfer all, or part of the remaining credit, associated with the rehabilitation expenses incurred with respect to that phase or portion of the site to the purchaser of the applicable portion of the textile mill site.

(b) To the extent that the taxpayer transfers the credit, the taxpayer must notify the department of the transfer in the manner the department prescribes.

(7) To the extent that the taxpayer is a partnership or a limited liability company taxed as a partnership, the credit, including the unused credit carryforward, may be passed through to the partners or members and may be allocated by the taxpayer among any of its partners or members on an annual basis including, without limitation, an allocation of the entire credit or unused credit carryforward to any partner or member who was a member or partner at any time during the year in which the credit is allocated.

(D) A taxpayer is not eligible for the credit if the facility has previously received textile mill credits, or if the taxpayer owned the otherwise eligible textile mill site when the site was operational and immediately prior to its abandonment.

HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 313, Section 3.A, eff June 12, 2008; 2010 Act No. 182, Section 1, eff May 28, 2010; 2016 Act No. 179 (H.5009), Section 1, eff May 23, 2016; 2016 Act No. 272 (H.3147), Section 2.A, eff June 7, 2016.

Editor's Note

2016 Act No. 179, Section 2, provides as follows:

"SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor and first applies to credits claimed for income tax year 2016, regardless of when the credit was earned."

2016 Act No. 272, Section 2.B, provides as follows:

"B. This SECTION shall apply to all projects placed in service after December 31, 2014 and for all tax years for which final returns have not been filed as of April 30, 2016."

Effect of Amendment

2016 Act No. 179, Section 1, reserved (C)(5), relating to limitations of the credit allowed by (C).

2016 Act No. 272, Section 2.A, in (C)(3), added ", at the individual, partnership or limited liability company level"; in (C)(7), inserted ", including the unused credit carryforward," and "or unused credit carryforward".