Homestead Exemption
Who qualifies
- Age
- 65 or older
- Income
- No income limit.
- Ownership
- Must hold complete fee-simple title or a life estate in the primary legal residence, or be the beneficiary of a trust that holds title.
- Residency
- Legal resident of South Carolina for one calendar year as of December 31 preceding the tax year; property must be the applicant's primary legal residence.
How much it saves
Worked example — a $300,000 home at South Carolina's median effective rate (~0.52%):
Your county's rate differs — use the calculator for a figure tuned to where you live.
How to apply
- Application required: Yes
- Deadline: Apply with the county auditor's office; granted for the entire year if the residence qualified for any part of that year.
- Renewal: automatic — Once granted, no annual reapplication is required unless ownership, residency, or eligibility status changes.
Combining with other exemptions
Applied after the 4% legal-residence classification; the two benefits stack. Available to owners who are age 65+, OR totally and permanently disabled, OR legally blind.
Amount cross-checked against a second official artifact: scstatehouse.gov/code/t12c037.php.
Informational only — not legal or tax advice. Exemption rules and amounts are summarized from official statutes and state tax-agency sources as of each program's verified date and can change by legislative session. Dollar figures are estimates derived from Census ACS county tax data, not actual bills. Confirm your eligibility and current amounts with your county assessor before relying on anything here.