Key figures
South Carolina compliance
2026, with sources
The Department of Revenue, not the Secretary of State, takes the annual report
A Delaware corporation qualifies with the Secretary of State by applying for a certificate of authority: a $10 filing fee plus a $100 tax plus the minimum license fee. Within 60 days of starting business it files Form CL-1 with the Department of Revenue and pays the initial $25 license fee.
After that, the annual report and the license fee travel with the income tax return, Form SC1120, due April 15 for a calendar-year company. There is no separate Secretary of State annual report for a corporation.
A license fee measured on paid-in capital
The annual license fee is $1 for every $1,000 of capital stock and paid-in surplus, apportioned using the income tax ratio, plus $15, with a $25 minimum. Because it is measured on what investors paid in rather than on net worth, a venture-backed company that raises a large round sees the fee rise even while it loses money, though at a modest scale.
Local licenses on one calendar
Cities and counties in South Carolina levy business license taxes measured on gross income. Since 2022 the Business License Tax Standardization Act has put them on one license year, May 1 through April 30, with renewals due April 30, a standardized application and online renewal through the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office. A company with an office in Columbia renews its city license by April 30 based on the prior year’s gross income.
Deadlines
- Within 60 days of starting business in South CarolinaInitial annual report and $25 corporate license feeForm CL-1
- April 15 for calendar-year corporationsIncome tax return with annual report and license feeForm SC1120
- April 30Municipal and county business license renewals
- November 1Unclaimed property report, including negative reports
The federal baseline
This page covers what South Carolina adds. The federal rules underneath it apply here too.
Common questions
Does the South Carolina license fee grow with our funding rounds?
Usually. South Carolina’s corporate license fee is $1 per $1,000 of capital stock and paid-in surplus, apportioned to the state, plus $15, with a $25 minimum. A startup that has raised $10 million and apportions 5% to South Carolina has a $500,000 base and pays $515. Because it is measured on paid-in capital, not net worth, losses do not reduce it.
Do we file a South Carolina unclaimed property report if we have nothing to report?
Yes. The State Treasurer requires every business to submit an unclaimed property report every year by November 1, even with nothing to report, filed electronically through the Treasurer’s website.
Compliance next door
- GAGeorgia complianceGeorgia compliance is a $235 certificate of authority, a $60 annual registration by April 1, Form 600 with its net worth tax, and an unclaimed property report every November 1.
- NCNorth Carolina complianceNorth Carolina compliance is a $250 certificate of authority, an annual report and a combined franchise and income tax return both due April 15, a franchise tax with a $200 minimum, and a November 1 unclaimed property report.
Founder guides on this
- ComplianceFirst-year compliance calendar for a Delaware C-corpDelaware franchise tax, 1099s, the federal return, payroll filings, state annual reports and sales tax: the deadlines a young C-corp misses most, by month.
- FundraisingAudit-ready books before your Series AInvestors, lenders and auditors ask for the same things: accrual statements, reconciled accounts and support for every balance. How to be ready first.
More of the South Carolina guide
- AccountingAccounting and state tax in South CarolinaCorporate tax, conformity to federal rules, apportionment and what it does to your books
- ReceivablesReceivables and sales tax in South CarolinaSales tax registration, economic nexus, whether SaaS is taxable, and collecting from customers
- PayablesPayables and contractors in South CarolinaPaying vendors and contractors: 1099 filing, use tax, contractor tests and withholding
- PayrollPayroll taxes and employer rules in South CarolinaWithholding, unemployment insurance, paid leave, minimum wage and the rules on paydays
- AdvisoryAdvisory: credits and decisions in South CarolinaCredits, incentives and the decisions that are cheaper to get right the first time
Sources
Checked against each agency’s own page on . Rates and thresholds change, usually on January 1.
General information for US companies, not tax, legal or accounting advice for yours. Rules and thresholds change; confirm the specifics with a CPA or the agency before you act on them.