Richland County issued the following announcement on December 29.
Because of changes to state law, business owners in Richland County will not have to renew their business licenses at the start of the new year.
With the passage of Act 176 (the S.C. Business License Tax Standardization Act), cities, towns and counties were required to standardize their business license practices. In Richland County, this meant all 2021 licenses were extended automatically and will now expire on April 30 rather than at the end of 2021.
License renewal forms will be mailed to business owners in April and are due by May 1. Licenses renewed after that date will incur a fee.
“We are excited to implement the changes required by S.C. Act 176 to make doing business in South Carolina easier by streamlining the business license process,” said Zachary Cavanaugh, director of business services for Richland County.
“The business license renewal process will begin in April instead of January, which will be one of the major differences businesses will notice,” Cavanaugh said. “However, with every licensing jurisdiction in South Carolina changing to the standard license year date, May 1-April 30, we hope the transition will go smoothly.”
Every business needs a business license to operate legally, including those based in a home. Business license renewals will still be based on the previous year’s income (either the 2021 calendar year or the preceding fiscal year).
The website for the County’s Business Service Center (BSC), www.richlandcountysc.gov/bsc, offers an online calculator and steps to guide business owners through the process. To learn more, contact the BSC at 803-576-2287 or bsc@richlandcountysc.gov.
Original source can be found here.
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