4% vs 6%: How SC Taxes Hit Seaside Farms Owners

Own a home in Seaside Farms? One small line on your Charleston County tax bill can move your bill by thousands. If you have ever seen “4% vs 6%” and wondered why your payment jumped, you are not alone. This guide breaks down what the rates mean, how they apply in Seaside Farms, and the exact steps to lock in the lower rate if you qualify. Let’s dive in.

4% vs 6% in South Carolina

The “4% vs 6%” language refers to South Carolina’s property tax assessment ratio. If your home is your legal residence and you have an approved Legal Residence application, it is assessed at 4% of market value. Most other properties, like rentals or second homes, are assessed at 6%. You apply and manage this status through the Charleston County Assessor. The county explains eligibility and process here.

Your tax is calculated as: assessed value × combined millage. Since 6% creates a 50% higher assessed value than 4%, the same home taxed at 6% will pay about 50% more, assuming millage is unchanged.

Another key factor is Act 388. Owner‑occupied legal residences do not pay local school operating millage, which further lowers the bill compared with rentals. You can read the statutory basis in the South Carolina Code and a plain‑English background summary in this policy analysis.

Note: Even with the 4% legal residence status, you still pay other millages, such as county, town, and certain school debt millages. Your actual bill lists each line item.

How it works for Seaside Farms addresses

If you live in Seaside Farms and the home is your legal residence, you must file Charleston County’s 4% Legal Residence application to receive the 4% rate. The county handles valuation, applications, and any refund requests. Find the application and related forms on the Charleston County Tax Forms page.

Timing matters. If your application is approved after bills go out, the county can apply the 4% later and issue a refund of eligible overpayment. Processing can slow during reassessment or bill mailings. Charleston County also notes that refunds are subject to statutory look‑back limits. For reassessment timing, appeals, and deadlines, check the Assessor’s page.

What 4% vs 6% does to your bill

• Assessed value = Market value × Assessment ratio (4% or 6%).
• Annual tax = Assessed value × Combined millage (1 mill = $1 per $1,000 of assessed value).
• If nothing else changes, moving from 4% to 6% increases your property tax by about 50%.

Example on a $900,000 home (illustrative only)

Here is a simple, hypothetical example using a combined millage of 200 mills (0.200):

• At 4%: assessed value = 900,000 × 0.04 = 36,000, tax ≈ 36,000 × 0.200 = 7,200 per year.
• At 6%: assessed value = 900,000 × 0.06 = 54,000, tax ≈ 54,000 × 0.200 = 10,800 per year.
• Difference ≈ 3,600 per year.

Your parcel’s millage may differ. Use the county’s tools on the Tax Forms and resources page or your actual bill to estimate your number.

Common reasons you get charged at 6%

• No Legal Residence application on file, or it was not processed in time for that tax year. You must apply; it is not always automatic. See the Assessor’s guidance.
• Records do not reflect your Seaside Farms home as your legal residence. Driver’s license, voter registration, or mailing address may not match.
• The property was rented or the use changed. Certain transfers and events, like an Assessable Transfer of Interest, can affect eligibility and caps.
• County data or processing delays around reassessment or mailings.

Action checklist to secure the 4% rate

1. Review your latest Charleston County tax bill. Check the Assessment Ratio box. QR4 means 4%. OT6 or 6% means you are at 6%. If it is wrong, follow the steps below. Assessor’s page.
2. If you qualify but are not at 4%, file the 4% Legal Residence application now. Apply online or by paper via the Tax Forms page.
3. Align your residency documents. Update your SC driver’s license, voter registration, and mailing address to your Seaside Farms home, and keep copies for your file. Assessor’s page.
4. If you already paid at 6% in error, submit the county’s 4% Request for Refund with support. Coordinate with your mortgage servicer if taxes are escrowed. Tax Forms page.
5. If your bill rose due to value changes, review the county’s valuation and consider an appeal if appropriate. Start with the tools and deadlines on the Assessor’s page.
6. Keep records if you rent, change use, or sell. Changes can remove 4% eligibility or the 15% cap. Assessor’s page.
7. When in doubt, contact the Charleston County Assessor for guidance. Complex cases may warrant advice from a property‑tax professional. Assessor’s page.

Bottom line for Seaside Farms owners

The difference between 4% and 6% in South Carolina is large because it directly changes your assessed value and interacts with school operating millage rules. A quick check of your bill and a timely Legal Residence application can protect your budget.

If you want local guidance as you plan a sale, purchase, or move within Mount Pleasant, reach out to Kristy Mac for a friendly, informed game plan.

FAQs

South Carolina property taxes: What does the 4% legal residence status do for a Seaside Farms homeowner?

• It sets your assessment ratio at 4% instead of 6% when your home is your legal residence and approved by Charleston County, which generally reduces the bill by about 50% compared with 6% if everything else is unchanged.

Seaside Farms tax bills: Why did my assessment ratio change to 6% this year?

• Common reasons include no Legal Residence application on file, mismatched residency documents, a rental or use change, an Assessable Transfer of Interest, or county processing delays during reassessment.

Refunds in Charleston County: Can I recover overpaid taxes if I qualified for 4% but paid at 6%?

• Yes, you can submit the county’s 4% Request for Refund with documentation, subject to statutory look‑back limits listed on the county’s forms page.

Eligibility question: If I am away part of the year from my Seaside Farms home, can I still get 4%?

• The 4% rate is for your legal residence, also called your domicile, so occasional absences do not automatically disqualify you, but rentals or converting to a rental can remove eligibility.

Charleston County reassessment: What events can remove the 15% cap on taxable value growth?

• New construction, certain transfers known as Assessable Transfers of Interest, and some parcel changes can limit or remove the 15% cap, according to county guidance.

Bill details: If I have the 4% rate in Seaside Farms, do I still pay any school‑related taxes?

• You do not pay local school operating millage under Act 388, but certain school bond or debt millages and other local millages may still appear as separate line items on your bill.