What is South Carolina's most recent statewide per capita income figure used for tax incentive eligibility (per SC IL #17-11)?

Plain-English summary

This Information Letter publishes South Carolina's most recently available statewide per capita income figure: $39,465. The Department releases the state figure so taxpayers can test whether an incentive's income threshold is met.

Several South Carolina tax incentives depend, in part, on state or county per capita personal income. The letter names three examples: the job tax credit (§ 12-6-3360), the sales-and-use-tax exemption for computer equipment for technology-intensive facilities (§ 12-36-2120(65)), and the corporate-headquarters credit (§ 12-6-3410). The Department publishes the state figure generally in March and September and the county figures generally in November, using data from the South Carolina Board of Economic Advisors. This letter provides the statewide figure only.

The letter does not decide any specific taxpayer's eligibility — it supplies the underlying income data used in the eligibility formulas.

What this means for you

If you are claiming an income-based incentive

Use the statewide figure ($39,465) as published here when an incentive's test compares against state per capita income. Because the amount is updated when new data arrives, verify you are using the figure that applies to your incentive year, and check the separate county-figure letter if your incentive is keyed to a county.

Common questions

Q: What is South Carolina's statewide per capita income in this letter?
A: $39,465.

Q: Does this letter give county figures too?
A: No. This letter provides the statewide figure; the Department publishes county figures separately (generally in November).

Q: What is the figure used for?
A: Testing eligibility (or the amount) of incentives that require associated jobs to meet a state or county per capita income requirement, such as the job tax credit, the technology-facility computer-equipment sales-tax exemption, and the corporate-headquarters credit.

Subject

Per Capita Income Figures for State of South Carolina

Source

• Landing page: https://dor.sc.gov/advisory-opinion-search
• Original PDF: https://dor.sc.gov/sites/dor/files/policies/IL17-11.pdf

Original ruling text

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
300A Outlet Pointe Blvd., Columbia, South Carolina 29210
P.O. Box 12265, Columbia, South Carolina 29211

SC INFORMATION LETTER #17-11

SUBJECT:

Per Capita Income Figures for State of South Carolina

DATE:

July 20, 2017

SUPERSEDES: All previous documents and any oral directives in conflict herewith.
AUTHORITY: S.C. Code Ann. Section 12-4-320 (2014)
S.C. Code Ann. Section 1-23-10(4) (2005)
SC Revenue Procedure #09-3
SCOPE:

An Information Letter is a written statement issued to the public to
announce general information useful in complying with the laws
administered by the Department. An Information Letter has no
precedential value.

A number of South Carolina income, sales and use, and property tax incentives
require jobs associated with the incentive to meet certain state or county per capita
personal income requirements to determine qualification for, or the amount of, the
particular incentive (e.g., the job tax credit in Code Section 12-6-3360, the sales and
use tax exemption for computer equipment for technology intensive facilities in Code
Section 12-36-2120(65), and the personal property corporate headquarters credit in
Code Section 12-6-3410).
Generally, the state figures are published in March and September. The county per
capita income figures are generally published in November. In order to aid taxpayers
in determining whether the per capita income requirements of an incentive have been
met, the Department publishes both the State and county per capita income amounts
each year when it receives the figures from the South Carolina Board of Economic
Advisors. The most recently available State per capita income figure is:
State of South Carolina $39,465