Monthly Business Licensing Virtual Trainings Begin in January

Each month in 2022, the Municipal Association’s Local Revenue Services will host “Business Licensing Essentials,” a series of virtual meetings, each tackling one element of the business licensing process. The first session, covering renewal notices, will take place Wednesday, January 12 from 10 – 11:30 a.m.

Act 176, the SC Business License Tax Standardization Act, created a new statewide business license year beginning May 1 and ending the following April 30. As a result, those cities and others should issue their license renewal notices earlier than in the past. 

For the first year under this new schedule, cities and towns should, as a best practice, send out renewal notices in January or February 2022. The notice should feature explanations of the new law, including how it works as a solution to longstanding business concerns about the licensing process, how it standardizes many of the practices, and how it established the online Local Business License Renewal Center. The notice should also include the locally-determined penalty date and penalty amount for business that do not renew their licenses on time. 

As 2022 progresses, the Local Revenue Services training sessions will focus on topics such as manufacturers, calculating business license rates correctly and records retention. The aim for these sessions is to allow business licensing expertise to be shared from the Municipal Association staff and for business licensing professionals to share knowledge and ask questions in a monthly forum. While each session will have a topic, attendees will also be able to ask questions of the Local Revenue Services staff. 

Act 176 streamlines the business license process for all jurisdictions across the state. The Municipal Association staff produced a wealth of information about the new law and how to comply with it. 

Sign up for January’s Business Licensing Essentials event on the Municipal Association’s training calendar.