It’s always greener in Greenville County! The median household income in Greenville County, SC, is $65,513, which is more than $7,000 higher than the median income in the state.
Yet Greenville County property taxes can be hard to track, even if you have a lot of money. Before you pack your bags and start your life in Greenville, you should do your research on the Greenville County property tax rate and process. Not sure where to start? Take a look at our authoritative guide on the property tax rates in Greenville County.
Greenville County Property Taxes
In South Carolina, county councils are responsible for handling property taxes. Property taxes pay for public services, including public schools, water and sewer services, and infrastructure projects. Greenville County officials are using more than $118 million in property taxes to fund its budget for the fiscal year 2023. Property taxes are the single largest funding source for county government projects.
Under state law, the taxable income of a home cannot increase by more than 15% due to a reassessment of the home value. The only exception is when you are selling your home. The Greenville County Council can vote on laws that change taxing policies, so you may pay more or less.
Greenville County has deferred taxes, also known as rollback taxes. These are Greenville County taxes based on the agricultural use of your property. If you do not use your land for agricultural purposes, you do not have to pay deferred taxes.
Voters can also vote to raise and lower taxes, usually to raise money for projects. Greenville voters have not recently approved any Greenville County tax changes.
Greenville County Real Property Services
The Real Property Services Division handles property assessments in Greenville County. Appraisers use three methods to value your property. Some appraisers use the Cost Approach, which involves estimating the cost of building a similar property on your piece of land.
Other appraisers prefer the Sales Comparison Approach. They will examine homes similar to yours and figure out how much they sold for. This indicates the market value of your property.
The Income Approach is based on the income stream that could come from your property. Someone may rent your home out to renters, or they may run a store out of your home. This approach is often used for pre-existing commercial and rental properties, not residences.
Property assessments take place every five years. The last assessment round took place in 2020 and 2021 (some assessments were delayed due to the pandemic), and the next round will begin in 2025.
The Real Property Services Division is also responsible for:
- Maintaining records of ownership and descriptions of properties
- Handling applications for real estate property tax exemptions
- Changing mailing addresses for homeowners
- Representing Greenville County in appeals to the Board of Assessment Appeals
Don Chai is the Assessor for Greenville County and is in charge of the Division. The Division’s office is located at 301 University Ridge, Suite 1000, Greenville, SC 29601. The office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday through Friday.
Greenville County Tax Collector
The Greenville County Tax Collector accepts payments of property taxes of Greenville residents. All checks should be made payable to the Tax Collector’s office, not the Real Property Services Division or other officials.
The Greenville County Tax Collector is also responsible for:
- Accepting applications for changes of address
- Suspending driver’s licenses if drivers fail to pay taxes
- Issuing tax deeds
- Filing proofs of claim with bankruptcy courts
- Planning and conducting tax sales
The Tax Collector is not in charge of determining tax policy in Greenville County. They only collect payments and administer penalties.
There is no official Tax Collector for Greenville County. The Greenville County tax office is located at 301 University Ridge, Suite 700, Greenville, SC 29601. The office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday through Friday.
Greenville County Property Tax Rate
The formula for tax liability in Greenville County is the assessed value of your home multiplied by the assessment value multiplied by the millage rate. This can be a little confusing to understand, so let’s break each of these values down.
The assessed value of your home is the amount of money that the Real Property Services Division determines your home is worth. Most assessors use the Sales Comparison Approach to estimate your property value.
The assessment ratio is the amount of your home’s assessed value that is subject to taxes every year. Section 1, Article X of the state constitution defines this ratio. The ratio is 4% for owner-occupied homes, meaning you must pay taxes on 4% of your home’s assessed value every year.
The millage rate is the amount of money you pay for every $1,000 your property is worth. Most counties charge a countywide rate with additional rates for schools and other public services.
Greenville County is no different. The countywide rate is 63.2, meaning you pay at least $63.20 for every $1,000 of your taxable value. However, Greenville County has 136 taxing districts, and each district has its own unique millage rates.
You can use this sheet from the Greenville County Auditor to see what millage rates you must pay. If you do not know what taxing district you live in, you can use this map from Greenville County GIS to find your district.
More than half of Greenville County residents pay less than $1,500 a year in property taxes. By contrast, more than 55% of Americans pay more than $2,000 a year. This makes Greenville County one of the best places to live for cheap property taxes.
Example of the Property Tax Formula
The median value of property in Greenville County is $197,400. $197,400 (the assessed value) times 4% (the assessment ratio) equals $7,896, the taxable value of your home.
Let’s say this home is in taxing district 052. You would have to pay the countrywide millage rate of 63.2. The Greenville Public School District charges 198.7 mills. The Canebrake Fire Department charges a millage rate of 40.7, meaning the total millage rate you must pay is 302.6.
Keep in mind that the millage rate is one mill for every $1,000. In order to get an accurate estimate, you need to multiply your taxable value by the mill rate and then divide by 1,000. 7,896 times 302.6 equals 818,815.2. Divide this by 1,000, and you get $2,385.38, the amount you would pay in property taxes every year.
Remember that many people qualify for exemptions and tax credits. If you don’t use the public school system, you can receive a tax credit.
To calculate your own taxes, you can use this tax estimator on the Greenville County government website.
Greenville Property Tax
Most of the city of Greenville is in tax district 500. If you are uncertain about which tax district you are in, you can contact the city government.
The median price of a home in Greenville is $355,000. Residents in tax district 500 pay the countywide millage rate of 63.2, the school district rate of 198.7, and a citywide rate of 81.4. Residents also pay 0.4 mills to support Bon Secours Wellness Arena, for a total of 343.7 mills.
This means that the median amount of property taxes in Greenville, SC is roughly $2,783.20, factoring in tax credits. This estimate does not include a Homestead Exemption in South Carolina or any other benefits.
Greenville County Property Tax Payments – When and How to Pay
The Tax Collector’s office accepts payments in cash, money orders, credit and debit cards, and checks. The office encourages residents to pay their taxes online or through the mail. You can pay your taxes through an online portal after you start an account.
Processing your tax payment can take three to five business days, so pay your taxes a week in advance. When do Greenville County property taxes come out? Notices are sent in October, and you can pay your taxes once you get a notice.
Property taxes are due without penalties on January 15. If you pay your taxes between January 16 and February 1, you must pay a penalty of 3%. Between February 2 and March 16, you must pay a penalty of 10%. You must pay a penalty of 15% plus $15 on payments after March 17.
After March 17, your tax bill becomes delinquent. The Tax Collector will send you a tax execution demand notice asking you to pay your taxes, including all penalties.
If your bill is still unpaid after thirty days, the Tax Collector will issue a Notice of Seizure. This notice will be sent to you, and you must sign it and pay your taxes. If you fail to do so, the Tax Collector will advertise your property and conduct a lien auction on it. The opening bid is equal to all delinquent taxes, penalties, and fees.
Greenville County Property Search and Greenville County Tax Records
Tax records in Greenville County are public information. Before you buy a home in South Carolina, you can examine the tax history of the property. If previous owners have paid a lot in taxes, you can search for another property.
The Real Property Services Division has a Greenville County property search tool that you can use to find information about a home. You can search based on the owner’s name, the address of the property, or the map number or street division of the property. You can learn about how much a home is worth, whether any property taxes are outstanding, and how large the property is.
The Tax Collector has a search tool you can use to conduct a Greenville County property tax search. You need the name of the owner, the account number, or map number of the property. You can get the map number from the Real Property Service Division’s tool.
Using the Tax Collector’s search tool lets you see a property’s tax history. You can see how much previous owners paid and when they paid. You can also read tax notices that break down where the previous owners’ money went.
Greenville County Property Tax Exemptions
Greenville County offers a few different tax exemptions for residents. You can apply for as many of them as you want, though you must file your applications before January 15 for taxes due. The Office of Real Property Services handles all exemption applications, so call the office if you have questions about what you need to do.
Homestead Exemption
Greenville’s main tax exemption is the Homestead Exemption. To qualify, you must be at least 65 years of age on or before December 31. You can also qualify if you have a total and permanent disability like blindness or if you are the surviving spouse of someone who could have qualified for an exemption. You must be a legal resident of South Carolina for at least one year on or before December 31 and hold the title to your home.
To apply, you need to submit proof of residency, like a South Carolina driver’s license or ID card. You must also submit a copy of your Social Security or Medicare Card and proof of your age.
Real Property Services allows residents to file for a Homestead Exemption online. If you qualify, you can get an exemption from taxes on the first $50,000 in taxable market value of your home. However, you may not get the highest amount.
Agricultural Exemption
If you own a piece of land in Greenville County and use it for agricultural purposes, you may qualify for a special assessment that can reduce your taxes. Farmers who use land to raise crops, breed livestock, and produce useful plants and trees qualify. You do not have to be a resident in order to receive this exemption.
You can file for an agricultural exemption through an online portal. If you qualify, you can get an exemption on the taxable market value of your home. There is no cap on how much money you can receive.
Legal Residence Exemption
If you qualify for a legal residence exemption, you will receive the 4% assessment rate for your taxes. You will also get a tax credit for the school operation tax. If you do not apply for this exemption, you may pay an assessment rate of 6%, which can raise your taxes by hundreds of dollars.
To qualify, you must own and occupy your home as a legal resident. You must have lived at your address for some time during the previous year, and you must be living at your house while you are filing the application. You can use the Assessor’s website to submit your paperwork.
Veterans and First Responders
Veterans with service-related total disabilities can apply for exemption from property taxes through the South Carolina Department of Revenue. The surviving spouses of service members killed in the line of duty or with permanent disabilities can also apply.
If you are a former police officer or firefighter who has a permanent disability as a result of your work, you may qualify for property tax exemptions. You should also file with the South Carolina Department of Revenue, though the county office can help you with your paperwork.
Greenville County Property Tax Appeals
You cannot appeal how much you pay in taxes. However, you can appeal the assessed value of your property, which will reduce how much you pay in taxes.
You can start the appeals process by mailing the Assessor within 90 days of you receiving your assessment notice. The Assessor will then examine their estimate and evaluate if they should correct it. If they agree with you, they can reduce it.
If they disagree with you, they will schedule a meeting with you within 30 days, and you can talk about your home value. If you cannot resolve your issue, you must file a written protest with them. They then must respond to your protest.
You can appeal the Assessor’s decision by writing them a notice of intent to appeal within 30 days of their response. The County Board of Assessment Appeals will oversee a hearing, during which you can present evidence explaining your claim. You can hire an attorney to represent you and ask witnesses to testify on your behalf.
The Board will make a majority vote to accept, increase, or decrease the assessed value. They will write a statement clarifying why they made their decision. If you disagree with the board, you can take your case to the Administrative Law Court.
The Tax Collector’s office does not issue a refund for a tax bill you pay in error. You need to contact the Auditor and explain your situation to them.
FAQ
What is the property tax rate in Greenville County, SC?
Without factoring in tax exemptions, you may pay less than 1% of the assessed fair market value of your home in property taxes. Greenville County has below-average property taxes, making it an affordable place to live.
How are Greenville County property taxes calculated?
A property assessor will determine the value of your home. You pay 4% of your home value as well as mills, which cost $1 for every $1,000 your home is worth. Some people pay more mills than others based on where they live and what services they use.
When are Greenville County property taxes due?
You can pay Greenville County property taxes as soon as you receive your notice to pay them. You have until January 15 to pay your taxes in full.
Greenville County property taxes are easy to calculate and pay. That’s one reason why more and more people are moving to Greenville. Auston Moving can cover all of your moving needs today. Get a free, custom quote at 888-883-2795.
