Who we work with in Fort Mill
Fort Mill has grown fast, and a lot of that growth is people who work in Charlotte and chose to live in South Carolina. It is also home to a growing number of small businesses that serve both sides of the line.
Our Fort Mill and Tega Cay clients tend to be:
- Households with a Charlotte paycheck and a South Carolina address
- Business owners registered in SC with customers, jobs or employees in NC
- Real estate investors with rentals in one or both states
- Newcomers filing their first part-year returns after moving from another state
We are based in Waxhaw, a short drive east across the state line, and everything we do is virtual.
South Carolina specifics that come up
Business licenses
Unlike North Carolina, South Carolina cities and counties require business licenses. Businesses inside Fort Mill town limits license with the Town of Fort Mill. Tega Cay, Rock Hill and unincorporated York County each have their own rules. Under South Carolina's standardized business license system, licenses run on the same yearly cycle statewide and renewals are due by April 30.
How South Carolina taxes business income
South Carolina has a special lower rate for active trade or business income from pass-through businesses, which owners can elect on their individual return. It is not automatic, and whether it helps depends on your other income. South Carolina also offers an elective entity level tax for partnerships and S corps, similar to North Carolina's.
Annual filings
South Carolina LLCs taxed as partnerships or disregarded entities do not file an annual report with the state. Corporations, including S corps, file an annual report with their income tax return.
Property tax
South Carolina taxes an owner occupied primary residence at a much lower assessment ratio than rentals and second homes, but you have to apply for it with York County. Rental owners, and anyone who never applied, pay the higher ratio.
Working in Charlotte, living in Fort Mill
If you work in North Carolina and live in South Carolina, you file two returns every year: a North Carolina nonresident return for the wages earned in NC, and a South Carolina resident return reporting everything, with a credit for the NC tax.
The details that trip people up are withholding for the wrong state, days worked from home in SC, and a spouse who works in a different state from you. We walk through all of it on the NC and SC dual-state taxes page.
What we do for Fort Mill clients
- Tax preparation: SC resident, NC nonresident and part-year returns
- Tax planning, including the SC business income election and entity level tax
- Bookkeeping and outsourced accounting for SC businesses
- LLC formation and S corp setup in either state
- Real estate tax strategy for rentals on either side of the line
We also work with clients in Tega Cay, Rock Hill, Indian Land and Lancaster. See all service areas.
Questions we get asked
Do you have an office in Fort Mill?
No. Our office is in Waxhaw, NC, a short drive from Fort Mill. The whole process is virtual, over Google Meet, secure upload and electronic signature.
Can a North Carolina CPA prepare my South Carolina return?
Yes. A CPA can prepare returns for any state. We prepare South Carolina resident and nonresident returns regularly, usually together with a North Carolina return.
Do I need a business license in Fort Mill?
Generally yes, if your business operates inside Fort Mill town limits. South Carolina municipalities and counties require business licenses, and renewals are due by April 30 each year. Businesses in unincorporated York County or other towns follow that jurisdiction's rules.