Time to Review your 2010 Charleston County Tax Bill

Tax bills we be mailed this month and it is extremely important to check your bill for accuracy. You want to first make sure you are getting the tax breaks you are entitled to as an owner-occupied resident. There is a significant difference between owner-occupied taxes and investment or second home bills. You are entitled to significant owner-occupied discounts, also known as the 4% tax rate as opposed to the 6% tax rate for other properties. The bill can sometimes be three times larger on a second home than it would have been if the property was a full time owner occupied residence. If you have recently purchased a home with me then you received the 4% tax application, however you have to fill it out and submit it in order to get the tax benefit. Otherwise the county automatically adds the home to the tax system as 6%. If you feel your assessed value or the county’s value for your home is too high you can appeal the value by contacting the tax office and requesting they come out and reevaluate the home. In many cases values have fallen significantly and your homes assessed value may be 20-30% higher than where it should be. If you need help tackling the tax system please give me a call.