Current Status Introducing Body:House Bill Number:3060 Primary Sponsor:Smith Committee Number:30 Type of Legislation:GB Subject:Homestead exemption, $50,000 Residing Body:House Current Committee:Ways and Means Date Tabled:Feb 05, 1991 Computer Document Number:3060 Introduced Date:Jan 08, 1991 Last History Body:House Last History Date:Feb 05, 1991 Last History Type:Tabled in Committee Scope of Legislation:Statewide All Sponsors:Smith Type of Legislation:General Bill
Bill Body Date Action Description CMN
---- ------ ------------ ------------------------------ ---
3060 House Feb 05, 1991 Tabled in Committee 30
3060 House Jan 08, 1991 Introduced and read first 30
time, referred to Committee
3060 House Dec 12, 1990 Prefiled, referred to 30
Committee
View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
TO AMEND SECTION 12-37-250, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, SO AS TO INCREASE THE EXEMPTION FROM THE FIRST TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THE FIRST FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS BEGINNING WITH THE 1991 TAX YEAR.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The first paragraph of Section 12-37-250 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 108 of 1989, is further amended to read:
"The first twenty fifty thousand dollars of the fair market value of the dwelling place of a person is exempt from county, municipal, school, and special assessment real estate property taxes when the person has been a resident of this State for at least one year and has reached the age of sixty-five years on or before December thirty-first, the person has been classified as totally and permanently disabled by a state or federal agency having the function of classifying persons, or the person is legally blind as defined in Section 43-25-20, preceding the tax year in which the exemption is claimed and holds complete fee simple title or a life estate to the dwelling place. A person claiming to be totally and permanently disabled, but who has not been classified by one of the agencies, may apply to the State Agency of Vocational Rehabilitation. The agency shall make an evaluation of the person using its own standards. The exemption includes the dwelling place when jointly owned in complete fee simple or life estate by husband and wife, and either has reached sixty-five years of age, or is totally and permanently disabled, or legally blind under this section, before January first of the tax year in which the exemption is claimed, and either has been a resident of the State for one year. The exemption must not be granted for the tax year in which it is claimed unless the person or his agent makes written application for the exemption before July sixteenth of that tax year. If the person or his agent makes written application for the exemption after July fifteenth, the exemption must not be granted except for the succeeding tax year for a person qualifying under this section when the application is made. The application for the exemption must be made to the auditor of the county and to the governing body of the municipality in which the dwelling place is located upon forms provided by the county and municipality and approved by the Comptroller General, and a failure to apply constitutes a waiver of the exemption for that year. Beginning with tax year 1979 the auditor, as directed by the Comptroller General, shall notify the municipality of all applications for a homestead exemption within the municipality and the information necessary to calculate the amount of the exemption. 'Dwelling place' means the permanent home and legal residence of the applicant."
SECTION 2. The provisions of the first paragraph of Section 12-37-250, as amended by Section 1 of this act, are effective for tax years beginning after 1990.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.