The State
S.C. Chamber of Commerce’s new legislative proposal could cost Greenville millions. Here’s the nitty-gritty: Small business owners are asked to pay business license taxes in all jurisdictions in which they’re doing business, which also creates tons of paperwork for the small business.
Enter Rep. Bill Sandifer, chairman of the House Labor. He has proposed legislation that would:
Standardize the collection of business license fees
Take the power to manage business licensing away from municipalities and give it to the Secretary of State’s office
Businesses who are *headquartered outside of the city, but do business within city limits would receive a tax exemption (where businesses headquartered within the city would be required to pay 100%). This gives big box retailers like Wal-Mart a 25% tax advantage over local mom and pops.
Not only would this new legislation help bigger organizations, but it also leaves the state with less money. This means that the city and state must make up the funds to continue working at status quo. Where will it come from?
