South Carolina Annual Report Requirements (2026)

Does South Carolina require an annual report? No, not for a standard LLC. A South Carolina LLC taxed as a partnership or as a disregarded entity files no annual report with the South Carolina Secretary of State and pays no recurring state filing fee. The S.C. Uniform Limited Liability Company Act of 1996 (Title 33, Chapter 44) simply contains no annual report requirement. This page explains the rule, the one exception, and what your compliance calendar actually looks like in 2026.

Does South Carolina Require an Annual Report?

For the default LLC, the answer is no. Most states collect a yearly information filing with a fee attached; South Carolina's LLC statute never created one. There is no form to submit, no deadline to calendar, and no annual Secretary of State invoice for an LLC that keeps its default tax classification.

The exception is tax driven. An LLC that elects corporate taxation, whether C corporation or S corporation, becomes subject to an annual report obligation administered by the South Carolina Department of Revenue rather than the Secretary of State. The details follow below.

South Carolina Annual Report Due Date

A standard LLC has no due date because it has no report. When the corporate-tax exception applies, the annual report rides along with the income tax return:

C Corporation Election: The report is Schedule D of Form SC1120, due by the 15th day of the 4th month after the close of the tax year. For calendar-year filers that means April 15.

S Corporation Election: The report is Schedule D of Form SC1120S, due by the 15th day of the 3rd month after the close of the tax year, which is March 15 for calendar-year filers.

South Carolina Annual Report Fee: $0

The Secretary of State charges standard LLCs nothing each year, because no report exists. For an LLC taxed as a corporation, the recurring charge is the annual License Fee that accompanies the SC1120 or SC1120S return: $15 plus 0.1 percent of capital and paid-in surplus, with a $25 minimum. That fee goes to the Department of Revenue as part of the tax filing, not to the Secretary of State.

How to File Under the Corporate-Tax Exception

If your LLC has elected corporate taxation, the sequence looks like this:

1. File Form CL-1, the Initial Annual Report of Corporations, once, within 60 days of commencing business or first using capital in South Carolina. It carries a one-time $25 minimum initial License Fee.
2. Each year, prepare Form SC1120 (C corporation) or SC1120S (S corporation) for the South Carolina Department of Revenue. Schedule D of that return is the annual report itself.
3. Pay the annual License Fee (minimum $25) with the return.
4. Submit by your deadline: the 15th day of the 4th month after year-end for C corporations, the 3rd month for S corporations.

Late Filings and Penalties

A standard South Carolina LLC cannot be late on an annual report, and there is no report-based administrative dissolution clock, because the filing does not exist. For LLCs taxed as corporations, the risk sits with the Department of Revenue: a late SC1120 or SC1120S return faces a late-filing penalty of 5 percent per month up to 25 percent, a late-payment penalty of 0.5 percent per month up to 25 percent, and interest at the federal underpayment rate.

What About South Carolina Corporations?

Corporations follow the same pattern, which surprises many owners: South Carolina has no standalone Secretary of State annual report for corporations either. A corporation's recurring report is Schedule D of its SC1120 or SC1120S return, filed with the Department of Revenue along with the annual License Fee. The CL-1 initial report is a one-time filing made at incorporation or qualification.

How We Support Your Compliance

For $99 per year, our registered agent service keeps the compliance side of your business covered:

Document Monitoring: We scan every piece of correspondence from the South Carolina Secretary of State the same day it arrives and post it to your portal, so nothing from the state slips past you.

Organized Records: Our online portal stores all state correspondence in one place, available whenever you or your accountant need it.

A Reliable Registered Address: With our address on file, the state always has a dependable location for notices, and your LLC stays reachable.

We do not prepare tax returns; if the corporate-tax exception applies to your LLC, Schedule D and the License Fee remain your accountant's territory. Our job is making sure every state notice reaches you the day it arrives.

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South Carolina asks remarkably little of a standard LLC each year. Pair that light workload with professional registered agent service and your compliance obligations stay simple.

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Questions about South Carolina requirements or our service? Visit our FAQ or contact page.