Richland County notifying property owners of reassessment
August 19, 2024
Notices sent through mail are not tax bills; use online application for appeals
Property owners in Richland County will soon get a better idea of the value of their property. The County Assessor’s Office has completed its 2024 County-wide reassessment and is notifying affected property owners by mail starting Friday, Aug. 16.
The reassessment was done in accordance with state law and is conducted every five years to ensure all real property is valued equitably and fairly. Richland County has about 184,200 parcels of real property, but only the properties that saw an increase in value of $1,000 or more will receive a reassessment notice.
While the taxable value on these notices is the basis for the County’s real property tax bill, the assessment and taxes will not be calculated until October, when County Council sets the property tax rates, known as the millage rate.
Residents can visit the County Assessor’s Property Value and Tax Estimate Inquiry page: https://bit.ly/RC-Property24, to estimate their real property taxes based on the 2024 taxable value and the 2023 millage rate. The link to this site is also under the Online Services tab at www.richlandcountysc.gov.
For the most recent millage rate, visit the County Auditor online: www.richlandcountysc.gov/Auditor.
Filing an Appeal
Property owners who disagree with their appraisal have 90 days to file an appeal. Richland County encourages property owners to use the online Appeal Application to submit appeals. Find instructions on the Assessor’s website or on the back page of the mailed property reassessment notice.
The Assessor’s Office ensures all real property is valued at its current fair market rate, which is the price the property could sell for in the open real estate market. Legal residences in the state are assessed for taxes at 4 percent, while commercial or non-owner occupied property is assessed at 6 percent.
While the County’s appraisers work diligently to accurately value property, County Assessor Fred Descy encourages property owners to check their reassessment notices for accuracy.
“If the assessed property is your primary legal residence and the taxable value is listed on the 6 percent line, please apply for the Legal Residence Exemption on the Assessor’s website. If your property is used for agricultural purposes, please apply for the Agricultural Real Property classification,” Descy advises.
South Carolina’s Homestead Exemption helps property owners who are age 65 and older, totally and permanently disabled, or legally blind by exempting the first $50,000 of their primary legal residence’s value. Descy reminds residents who might qualify and have not applied for the Homestead Exemption to contact the Richland County Auditor’s Office at 803-576-2610 or 803-576-2611. The County’s property reassessment notices do not note the exemption.
The purpose of reassessment is not to raise taxes, but to distribute the taxes collected more fairly among all real property owners. Also, residents are reminded that if home values increase, that doesn’t necessarily mean taxes will rise. About 72 percent of the property owners will benefit from a mandated 15 percent cap in taxable value.
About Richland County
The County Government is dedicated to providing exceptional public services through effective planning, proactive leadership, and inclusive governance to ensure that all residents, visitors, and businesses have equitable opportunities and improved quality of life today and in the future.
