Charleston County property taxes are due Jan. 15. The City of Charleston's 2025 rate is 298.1 mills. Apply for the 4% legal residence rate: 843-958-4100.
Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Facts on this page come from the Charleston County Treasurer, Auditor and Assessor.
Three Charleston County offices handle your property tax. The Assessor sets the value, the Auditor applies the tax rate and the Treasurer collects the money. Bills go out in the fall and are due Jan. 15. Most of the City of Charleston is in Charleston County; Daniel Island and Cainhoy are in Berkeley County, which assesses and bills those homes itself.
Who to call
- Paying a bill, installment plan: Charleston County Treasurer, 843-958-4360, 101 Meeting St., Suite 120
- Your value, the 4% legal residence rate, appeals: Charleston County Assessor, 843-958-4100, 4050 Bridge View Drive, North Charleston
- Tax rates, homestead exemption: Charleston County Auditor, 843-958-4200; homestead questions, 843-958-4220
- Pay online: Charleston County revenue collections portal
When the bill is due, and the penalties
Real property and business personal property taxes are due by Jan. 15 of the year after the bill is dated, the Treasurer’s office says. A bill mailed this fall is due Friday, Jan. 15, 2027. After that:
| Paid | Penalty |
|---|---|
| After Jan. 15 | 3% |
| After Feb. 1 | another 7%, or 10% in all |
| After March 17 | another 5%, or 15% in all, and the bill goes to the Delinquent Tax Department |
South Carolina law does not let the Treasurer take a partial payment on a single bill. If your mortgage company pays from escrow and the bill names an old lender, send a copy to your current lender.
Car and truck taxes run on a different clock: they are due by the last day of the month your license plate expires and must be paid before the tag can be renewed.
The City of Charleston’s tax rate
South Carolina sets rates in mills. One mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. The Auditor’s 2025 millage levy (PDF), the latest posted, puts the City of Charleston (tax districts 34, 35, 36, 52, 63, 71, 72 and 99) at 298.1 mills:
| Levy | Mills |
|---|---|
| Charleston County School District, operating | 142.5 |
| Charleston County School District, bonds | 23.0 |
| County government, operating | 37.8 |
| County government, bonds | 5.7 |
| Parks and recreation, operating | 3.7 |
| Parks and recreation, bonds | 1.7 |
| Trident Technical College | 1.7 |
| Countywide subtotal | 216.1 |
| City of Charleston | 72.5 |
| City of Charleston, public safety infrastructure | 5.5 |
| City of Charleston, drainage | 4.0 |
| City subtotal | 82.0 |
| Total | 298.1 |
Your tax district number is printed on your bill. Unincorporated areas next to the city, such as parts of James Island and West Ashley, carry different rates.
Where the money goes
On a home that is your primary legal residence, the Auditor’s office says you receive an exemption from school operating millage, the largest line above. The Auditor’s tax estimator works out a bill for a given value and district, with credits.
Lower your bill: the 4% rate and the homestead exemption
The 4% legal residence rate. A home you own and live in as your primary legal residence can be assessed at 4% of its value instead of 6%. It is not automatic. Apply to the Assessor and prove you qualify; the deadline is typically Jan. 15, according to the county’s tax exemptions page. Use the online legal residence application or the printable form (PDF).
The homestead exemption. Owners who are 65 or older by Dec. 31 of the year before, totally and permanently disabled, or legally blind can have the first $50,000 of their home’s value excluded. You must have lived in South Carolina for at least a year and already have the 4% rate. Apply with the Auditor’s homestead exemption application (PDF) or call 843-958-4220.
How to appeal your value
Charleston County completed a countywide reassessment in 2025; state law calls for one every five years, and a reassessment can raise a home’s taxable value by no more than 15%, with exceptions such as homes sold since the last one. The Assessor’s appeals section sets out three local steps:
- Objection. In writing to the Assessor’s office within 90 days of the date the assessment notice was mailed. A phone call does not protect your rights.
- Protest. In writing within 30 days of the decision on your objection.
- Appeal to the County Board of Assessment Appeals within 30 days.
The state Administrative Law Court comes after that. Miss a deadline and the appeal is lost for the year. Mail with a verifiable date; the office says it cannot read a date from a postal bar code.
Pay in installments
The Treasurer’s Advance Property Tax Installment Plan spreads the bill over six payments at no extra cost: five equal payments every other month starting Feb. 15, based on last year’s tax, and the balance due by Jan. 15. Older bills must be paid off first, and accounts paid from escrow cannot join. Apply with the online installment application or call 843-958-4360.
What this means for you
- Bills mailed this fall are due Jan. 15, 2027; the penalty starts the next day.
- Bought a home this year? Apply for the 4% rate now. At 6%, your home’s assessed value is half again as high.
- Value notices come with a 90-day objection window. Put the date on your calendar.
Related guides: trash and recycling, Charleston home prices and moving to Charleston.
Frequently asked questions
When are Charleston County property taxes due?
Real property tax bills are due by Jan. 15 of the year after they are issued. A 3% penalty applies after Jan. 15, rising to 10% after Feb. 1 and 15% after March 17, when the bill goes to the Delinquent Tax Department.
What is the property tax rate in the City of Charleston?
The 2025 levy for City of Charleston tax districts in Charleston County is 298.1 mills: 216.1 countywide mills plus 82 city mills, according to the Charleston County Auditor’s Office.
How do I get the 4% assessment ratio in Charleston County?
Apply to the Charleston County Assessor’s Office for the 4% legal residence special assessment on the home you own and live in. The deadline is typically Jan. 15. Without it, a home is assessed at 6%.
How do I appeal my property value in Charleston County?
File a written objection with the Charleston County Assessor’s Office within 90 days of the date your assessment notice was mailed. A protest and an appeal to the County Board of Assessment Appeals follow, each with a 30-day deadline.
Who bills property taxes on Daniel Island?
Daniel Island and Cainhoy are in Berkeley County, so homes there in the City of Charleston are assessed and billed by Berkeley County, not Charleston County.
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