South Carolina LLC Annual Report: None Required for a Standard LLC
A standard South Carolina LLC does not file an annual report, and there is no annual fee to the Secretary of State. The Department of Revenue says an LLC not taxed as a corporation is not subject to the annual report or the license fee, and the LLC Act (Chapter 44) has no annual report section.
The exception is an LLC that elects to be taxed as a corporation. It files the CL-1 Initial Annual Report with the Department of Revenue within 60 days of commencing business, then an annual report with its SC1120 or SC1120S return.
South Carolina annual report at a glance
| Item | Fee | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Standard LLC annual report | None | Not required |
| CL-1 Initial Annual Report (LLC taxed as a corporation) | $25 minimum license fee | Within 60 days of commencing business |
| Later annual report with SC1120 or SC1120S (taxed as a corporation) | $15 + $1 per $1,000 of capital and paid-in surplus, minimum $25 | 15th day of the 4th month after the tax year ends |
| Change of designated office or agent | $10 | When it changes |
| Reinstatement after administrative dissolution | $25 | Within 2 years of dissolution |
What replaces the report
Nothing is filed each year to keep a standard South Carolina LLC in existence. What matters is paying any fee, tax or penalty the law imposes, and keeping the designated office and agent for service of process current with the Secretary of State.
If you fall behind
A company that does not pay a fee, tax or penalty within sixty days after it is due can be administratively dissolved. The Secretary of State serves notice, the company has 60 days to correct the problem, and after that it is dissolved and may only wind up. Reinstatement must be filed within two years, costs $25, and needs a Department of Revenue certificate that all taxes are paid.
Where these figures come from
- The Department of Revenue's corporate FAQs state that an LLC not taxed as a corporation is exempt from the annual report and license fee, and give the CL-1 timing.
- The CL-1 form and S.C. Code Title 12, Chapter 20 set the license fee for corporation-taxed LLCs.
- S.C. Code Title 33, Chapter 44 covers the $10 agent change (33-44-109), administrative dissolution (33-44-809 and 810) and the $25 reinstatement (33-44-811, 33-44-1204). The Secretary of State's business entity FAQ repeats the two-year reinstatement window.
What to do each year
- Confirm your tax treatment. A single-member or partnership-taxed LLC owes no state annual report; one taxed as a corporation does.
- Keep the agent and office current. Use the statement of change ($10) if either moves or changes.
- File the CL-1 if you elect corporate tax treatment, with the Department of Revenue, within 60 days of commencing business.
- Pay any state tax on time, since unpaid fees or taxes are the route to dissolution.
Have us help
Forming a new South Carolina LLC? Our formation is $199 plus the $110 state fee, passed through at cost, and your first year of registered agent service is included (then $99 a year), with reminders for your agent and office details.
$199 + $110 South Carolina state filing fee = $309 due today
FAQ
Does a South Carolina LLC have to file an annual report?
Not a standard one. The Department of Revenue exempts an LLC that is not taxed as a corporation from the annual report and license fee.
What if my South Carolina LLC is taxed as a corporation?
Then it files the CL-1 within 60 days of commencing business, with a $25 minimum license fee, and an annual report each year with its SC1120 or SC1120S.
What happens if I miss a required fee or tax?
After sixty days past due the Secretary of State can send notice, and without a fix within 60 days the LLC is dissolved. Reinstatement within two years costs $25 and needs a Department of Revenue tax clearance.