Treasurer's Office

Responsibilities

Treasurer: Mary Tinkler

The Treasurer's Office collects real, personal, motor vehicle and other taxes and oversees their disbursement to County government, municipalities, schools and special taxing districts in Charleston County. The Treasurer's Office also maintains records of revenues collected by these districts and invests any funds not immediately needed for disbursement.

The Treasurer, an elected official, serves as the holding agent for funds of many County departments. These departments deposit their funds (such as grants, plat sales, fines and copy fees) with the Treasurer who invests these monies, along with tax collections, to generate additional revenues for the County in the form of interest earnings.

Contact

Treasurer's Office

O.T. Wallace County Office Building

101 Meeting St., N. Charleston, SC 29401

Suite 120

Phone: (843) 958-4360

Fax: (843) 2958-4370

Office Hours: M – F | 8:30AM – 5PM

Provide independent financial and operational audits
Provide integrity services investigations and recommendations
Provide assistance with special projects
Furnish analyses, appraisals, recommendations and comments resulting from operational and financial reviews.

Advance Property Tax Installment Plan

Taxpayers who own real property (home, land, building, mobile home) in Charleston County may be eligible to pay their bill through advance payments, at no additional cost.

In order to participate,

Any outstanding tax bills must be paid in full and the account cannot already be held in escrow by a mortgage company.
The number of advance installment payments in the first year of enrollment will be dependent on the time of year that you apply.

Payment plans

There will be a total of six payments.
Five equal advance payments will be made throughout the year, due every other month.
Payments will be applied to the future bill that will be issued in November.
The installment payment amount will be based on the previous year's tax total.
Payment due dates:
- First February
- Second April
- Third June
- Fourth August
- Fifth October
The sixth installment payment will be the balance due after all installment payments are applied.
The final payment will be mailed out by November 15th and will be due on or before January

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Treasurer's office at (843) 958-4360.

Application & Forms

Online Installment Payments Application

Printable Installment Payments Application

Removal Application

Reference Materials

Section 12-45-75 of the SC Code of Laws

County Ordinance #1996

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General FAQs

Answer:The Treasurer does not determine property tax amounts.

The amount of tax money needed is decided by each of the area's taxing authorities. The Assessor's Office determines appraisal values for real property while the Auditor calculates the tax.

Answer:The Treasurer does not maintain property or owner records.

The Assessor and Auditor maintain these records and are dependent on taxpayers to notify their offices of changes in address.

Answer:Sections 12-45-220 and 6-5-10 of the S.C. Code of Laws limit the Treasurer as to where public funds may be invested.

These code sections allow investment: a) in obligations of the United States and its agencies within the United States that are fully guaranteed by the federal government; b) in bonds or certificates of indebtedness of the State of South Carolina and its agencies; c) in shares of any building and loan association insured by an agency of the United States; and d) with banking institutions of South Carolina.

Tax Payment FAQs

Answer:After your payment is processed, we will mail your receipt to the mailing address listed on the tax bill.

If you filled out the change of address information attached to the remittance, we will send the receipt to the new address indicated on the form.

Answer:No.

South Carolina state law does not allow the Treasurer to accept partial payments for individual tax bills.

Answer:Checks or money orders made payable to Charleston County Treasurer can be mailed to:

Charleston County Treasurer

P.O. Box 878, Charleston, SC 29402-0878

The Treasurer's Office does accept cash, checks and money orders and credit card payments at all Treasurer's office locations. For online payments with your Visa, MasterCard, AMEX or Discover card, please visit SC-Charleston.PublicAccessNow.com.

There is a surcharge involved with paying by credit card online.

Motor Vehicle Tax FAQs

Answer:Taxes on motor vehicles and recreational vehicles must be paid before your license plate tags can be renewed.

These taxes are due by the last day of the month in which your tag expires.

Answer:When you purchase a vehicle from a dealership, their personnel are allowed to pick up your registration and license tags without paying the local property taxes.

The tax you paid to the dealership at the time of purchase was the South Carolina state sales tax.

Answer:If you pay your vehicle taxes on time, you will receive your registration renewal sticker in the mail (usually within 10 days of payment).

Please make sure that your address is correct and that your insurance certification is provided when required. The registration renewal fee charged by the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) appears on your tax bill every other year.

If you pay your vehicle taxes after the expiration of your license tag, you will need to go to a local DMV office to show your paid tax receipt. Then, a new sticker will be issued to you in person. If this occurs in a year when you were charged a renewal fee on your tax bill, the DMV will charge you a late renewal fee at that time.

Answer:The state of South Carolina has a stalking law which prohibits a search by tag or VIN number.

Therefore, no one can find out your name or address simply by recording your vehicle information and accessing this site.

Real Estate & Personal Property Tax FAQs

Answer:Taxes on real and other personal property (not motor vehicles) are due by January 15 of the following year without penalty.

For example, a real estate property tax bill dated October 2000 is payable by January 15, 2001, without penalty. The penalty structure on real estate and other personal property (not motor vehicles for 2007 tax bills) is as follows:

3 percent penalty due if paid after January 15

Additional 7 percent due, or 10 percent total, if paid after February 1

Additional 5 percent due, or 15 percent total, if paid after March 17, and the bill is sent to the Delinquent Tax Department.

Answer:We receive mortgage information from several different companies prior to the mailing of real estate property tax bills.

Therefore, the code listed on the tax bill is the latest information provided to us. Please forward a copy of the tax bill to your current mortgage holder so that your taxes can be paid from your current escrow account.

Online Payments FAQs

Answer:At this time, you can pay with a valid VISA or MasterCard credit or debit card.

Pursuant to Visa guidelines, if you choose to pay with your Visa debit card you will be assessed a flat fee which can vary based upon the tax amount due. Contact your credit card provider for further details.

Answer:Real Estate, Mobile Homes, Personal Property and Motor Vehicle accounts can be paid online.

However, if there is a delinquent tax amount due on the property, the account cannot be paid online.

Answer:Payments may be entered up until 10:00 P.M.

The system is shut down overnight for batch processing and is available the following morning at 8:00 a.m. Please refer to SC-Charleston.PublicAccessNow.com for scheduled system availability.

Answer:The payment will be dated on the day of your transaction.

Payment transactions entered Monday - Thursday will be reflected on tax bill information the next day; payment transactions entered Friday - Sunday will be reflected on tax bill information on Monday.

Answer:The funds will be drafted from your account on the day of your transaction.

Answer:Currently, only one tax bill at a time.

When the confirmation screen appears for your completed transaction, you can choose to return to the main payment screen to select and pay another tax bill.

Answer:After your payment is posted, you will get a confirmation page for your records.

Print the confirmation page as instructed. You also will receive a confirmation by e-mail. This is one reason your e-mail address is required for the online payment. A regular tax payment receipt will be mailed to you within three business days of the transaction.

Answer:Yes.

The notification of your payment will be sent to the DMV just as if you paid by mail or in the office.

Answer:No.

Part of the online payment process requires you to specify your insurance carrier name for registration renewal.

Answer:At this time the answer is no.

However, that may change in the future.

Answer:There is a charge to the taxpayer for this service.

The surcharge will be displayed before the transaction is completed so that you may opt out if you so choose.

Answer:It will be noted on your confirmation page that a problem occurred.

Additionally, the Treasurer's Office and the Webmaster will receive an e-mail describing the nature of the problem. The Treasurer's Office will see that your payment processing is completed and notify you.

Answer:Yes.

Charleston County's secure payment server was certified as using the strongest available 128-bit encryption through a national service called VeriSign. Each payment transaction is authenticated and verified by this national service through a security check.

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Treasurer's Office

Treasurer's Office

Responsibilities

Contact

Advance Property Tax Installment Plan

Application & Forms

Reference Materials

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why did the Treasurer raise my taxes?

Why did the Treasurer send my bill to the wrong address?

Where does the Treasurer invest funds, and what are the constraints on investment of County monies?

If I mail my payment, how do I receive a paid receipt?

Can I make a partial payment of my tax bill?

How can I make my payment?

When are the taxes due on my motor vehicle?

Didn't I pay the taxes when I bought my vehicle?

How do I receive my renewal sticker for my vehicle?

Why can't I search the Tax System records by license tag number or Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)?

When is the last day to pay my current taxes without penalty?

I refinanced my home mortgage, and the mortgage code on my tax bill does not reflect the current information. How can I correct the information, and how do I have my tax bill paid from the current mortgage escrow account?

What forms of payment are accepted?

What types of accounts can be paid online?

What is the cutoff time for payments?

What date will my payment be posted?

When will the funds be drafted from my account?

How many accounts can be paid in each transaction?

Will I get a receipt for my payment?

Will the Department of Motor Vehicles still mail me my renewal sticker and registration?

Do I have to complete and mail my insurance verification slip if I pay online?

Can I go to the DMV with my printed Confirmation Page and pick up my renewal sticker and registration?

Is there a charge to the taxpayer for this service?

What if I have a problem with my transaction after I have entered my credit card number?

Am I paying through a secure site?