S 0086 General Bill, By Thomas, Elliott, Ryberg and Reese
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 12-37-2725, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH
 CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE PRORATED REFUND OF PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES ON
 A MOTOR VEHICLE WHEN THE TITLE TO THE VEHICLE IS TRANSFERRED OR THE VEHICLE IS
 REGISTERED IN ANOTHER STATE, SO AS TO AUTHORIZE A PRORATED REFUND OF TAXES FOR
 THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE TRANSFER OF THE VEHICLE TITLE AND THE TRANSFERRING OF
 THE LICENSE PLATE TO ANOTHER VEHICLE, TO REQUIRE THIS PERIOD TO BE AT LEAST
 THIRTY DAYS BEFORE ANY REFUND IS DUE, TO PROVIDE THE METHOD OF CLAIMING THE
 REFUND, AND TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENTS OF REVENUE AND PUBLIC SAFETY JOINTLY TO
 PRESCRIBE THE APPROPRIATE FORM AND METHODS OF PROVING ELIGIBILITY.

   11/18/98  Senate Prefiled
   11/18/98  Senate Referred to Committee on Finance
   01/12/99  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-38
   01/12/99  Senate Referred to Committee on Finance SJ-38

TO AMEND SECTION 12-37-2725, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE PRORATED REFUND OF PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES ON A MOTOR VEHICLE WHEN THE TITLE TO THE VEHICLE IS TRANSFERRED OR THE VEHICLE IS REGISTERED IN ANOTHER STATE, SO AS TO AUTHORIZE A PRORATED REFUND OF TAXES FOR THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE TRANSFER OF THE VEHICLE TITLE AND THE TRANSFERRING OF THE LICENSE PLATE TO ANOTHER VEHICLE, TO REQUIRE THIS PERIOD TO BE AT LEAST THIRTY DAYS BEFORE ANY REFUND IS DUE, TO PROVIDE THE METHOD OF CLAIMING THE REFUND, AND TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENTS OF REVENUE AND PUBLIC SAFETY JOINTLY TO PRESCRIBE THE APPROPRIATE FORM AND METHODS OF PROVING ELIGIBILITY.

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

SECTION 1. Section 12-37-2725 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 459 of 1996, is further amended by adding a new paragraph at the end to read:

"If the owner of a motor vehicle transfers the title of the vehicle to another and retains the license plate for more than thirty days before transferring the plate to another vehicle, the owner may receive a prorated refund of taxes for the time the plate was not in use. The refund must be granted by the county treasurer upon written application to the auditor of the county of the transferred vehicle's registration and tax payment providing proof of the time elapsed between the transfer of the title of the first vehicle and the transfer of the license plate to the next vehicle. The Department of Revenue and the Department of Public Safety jointly shall prescribe the application form and methods of providing proof sufficient for the refund authorized by this paragraph."

SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 1999, and applies with respect to motor vehicle tax years beginning after June 30, 1999.