South Carolina General Assembly
121st Session, 2015-2016

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A167, R173, H4712

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. White, Bannister, Rutherford, G.R. Smith, Lowe, Pitts, Hiott, Erickson, Clemmons, Loftis, G.M. Smith, Hayes, Sandifer, Whitmire, Cole, Simrill, Allison, Cobb-Hunter, Long, Huggins, Delleney, Pope and Bales
Document Path: l:\council\bills\bbm\9420dg16.docx
Companion/Similar bill(s): 995

Introduced in the House on January 20, 2016
Introduced in the Senate on February 25, 2016
Last Amended on April 7, 2016
Passed by the General Assembly on April 21, 2016
Governor's Action: April 29, 2016, Signed

Summary: Agricultural real property, mobile home, and lessee improvements

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1/20/2016  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 6)
   1/20/2016  House   Referred to Committee on Ways and Means 
                        (House Journal-page 6)
   2/11/2016  House   Committee report: Favorable with amendment Ways and 
                        Means (House Journal-page 85)
   2/23/2016  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bales
   2/23/2016  House   Amended (House Journal-page 41)
   2/24/2016  House   Read second time (House Journal-page 12)
   2/24/2016  House   Roll call Yeas-105  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 13)
   2/25/2016  House   Read third time and sent to Senate 
                        (House Journal-page 18)
   2/25/2016  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 7)
   2/25/2016  Senate  Referred to Committee on Finance (Senate Journal-page 7)
    4/6/2016  Senate  Committee report: Favorable with amendment Finance 
                        (Senate Journal-page 9)
    4/7/2016  Senate  Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 40)
   4/11/2016          Scrivener's error corrected
   4/12/2016  Senate  Read second time (Senate Journal-page 15)
   4/12/2016  Senate  Roll call Ayes-42  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 15)
   4/13/2016  Senate  Read third time and returned to House with amendments 
                        (Senate Journal-page 24)
   4/21/2016  House   Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled 
                        (House Journal-page 31)
   4/21/2016  House   Roll call Yeas-106  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 32)
   4/26/2016          Ratified R 173
   4/29/2016          Signed By Governor
    5/4/2016          Effective date 04/29/16
    5/6/2016          Act No. 167

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

1/20/2016
2/11/2016
2/23/2016
2/24/2016
4/6/2016
4/7/2016
4/11/2016


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A167, R173, H4712)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 12-43-230, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE TREATMENT OF AGRICULTURAL REAL PROPERTY, MOBILE HOME, AND LESSEE IMPROVEMENTS TO REAL PROPERTY, SO AS TO CLASSIFY OFF-PREMISES OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGNS AS PERSONAL PROPERTY AND TO PROVIDE THAT UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AN OFF-PREMISES SIGN SITE MUST BE TAXED AT ITS VALUE WHICH EXISTED BEFORE THE ERECTION OF THE SIGN.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Off-premises outdoor advertising signs

SECTION    1.    Section 12-43-230 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding a new subsection to read:

"(e)(1)    For ad valorem property tax purposes, an off-premises outdoor advertising sign must be classified as tangible personal property. The sign owner must file a business personal property tax return annually with the South Carolina Department of Revenue based upon the original cost of the sign structure less allowable depreciation. Any sign permit required by local, state, or federal law must be considered as intangible personal property for ad valorem property tax purposes.

(2)(a)    If an off-premises outdoor advertising sign site is one-quarter of an acre or less, or is otherwise limited to an area large enough only to accommodate the necessary building structure, foundation, and provide for service or maintenance, is leased from an unrelated third party, or the sign is owned by the owner of the site, and the sign owner has filed a business personal property tax return with the Department of Revenue, then the off-premises outdoor advertising sign site real property must be assessed to the site owner at its value before the lease or construction of the sign without regard to the structure, the lease, or lease income, and no separate assessment may be issued for the sign company's lease or ownership interest. The lease or construction of such property does not constitute an assessable transfer of interest pursuant to Article 25, Chapter 37, Title 12, and the real property constituting the sign site must maintain its same property tax classification as commercial, manufacturing, agricultural, or utility property as it had before the lease.

(b)    The provisions of this item do not apply to:

(i)        real property whose property tax classification is subject to change due to the addition of buildings, structures, or other improvements subsequent to the erection of the sign on the property; and

(ii)    real property whose property tax classification was changed due to the erection of an on-premises outdoor advertising sign on existing buildings, structures, or other improvements unless the existing buildings, structures, or other improvements qualify within the same property tax classification pursuant to Chapter 43 of this title.

(3)    For purposes of this subsection:

(a)    'Intangible personal property' has the same meaning as contained in Section 3(j), Article X, of the Constitution of this State.

(b)    'Off-premises outdoor advertising sign' means a lawfully erected, permanent sign which relates in its subject matter to products, accommodations, services, or activities sold or offered elsewhere other than upon the premises on which the sign is located.

(c)    'Sign owner' means the owner of an off-premises outdoor advertising sign."

Time effective

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor and first applies to property tax years after 2014. Upon the site owner providing written or electronic notice to the county assessor that his affected property was assessed other than as provided by this act, county tax officials shall adjust values and assessment ratios to reflect the provisions of this act, but no refund is allowed on account of the provisions of this act.

Ratified the 26th day of April, 2016.

Approved the 29th day of April, 2016.

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This web page was last updated on June 28, 2016 at 1:51 PM