SC Chamber and other leading business associations urge SC House vote on H.4431 – Business License Tax Reform Act
February 24, 2020
The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and other leading business associations representing businesses of varied specialties and sizes, are urging the SC House of Representatives to vote this week on H.4431, the Business License Tax (BLT) Reform Act sponsored by Rep. Jay Jordan, following its unanimous passage out of the House Labor, Commerce, and Industry Committee last Tuesday.
For nearly a decade, the SC Chamber’s Small Business Council has been advocating for a bill that standardizes the business license tax system across all cities, and creates a state-run central portal for businesses to apply and pay for their licenses. The current system is complex, costly, and lacks transparency.
H.4431 brings much-needed reform to the system. The bill requires a standard application form, renewal date, appeals procedure, and class schedules, along with creating a central online payment portal administered by a governmental agency, ensuring taxpayer data remains protected.
“Small businesses have been calling on policymakers for years to fix the most business-unfriendly thing we do in South Carolina – reform our complex and inefficient business license tax system,” said Ted Pitts, President and CEO of the SC Chamber. “Small businesses are finally being heard. Rep. Jordan’s bill reached a major milestone last week when it passed out of House LCI, but there’s still work to do. We’re calling on members of the SC House to support H.4431 which would improve the system for small businesses.”
The Chamber also unveiled a new BLT website this week – available at https://reform-south-carolina.mmp2.org/ – to educate both members and the public about the bill, and allow them to contact legislators to push for passage.
To contact their legislator, an individual can visit the “Join Us” tab on the website (https://reform-south-carolina.mmp2.org/join) and click “Contact Your Officials.”
About the SC Chamber
The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce is the State’s Champion for Business, with a vision to make South Carolina the best place in the nation to live, work, and do business. A statewide organization that promotes pro-job and business policies at the state and federal level, it brings together businesses across the state with coordinated strategies, trainings, committees, and events. With a unified voice, we can make the biggest impact. Our member insights shape the policies we write, and the agenda we promote at the State House. You can learn more at www.scchamber.net
