The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1861-04-02
TAXATION IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY,
CHARLFsToN March 20 1861

In compliance with your direction that should
prepare statement of the taxes to be raised under
the Act of the Legislature of South Carolina, to
raise supplies for the year 1861, and explain the
practical effect of tn" rate of taxation land,
beg leave to submit to You the following report:
A SCHEDULE OF THE TAXES FOR THE YEAR 1861.
On slaves, per head, 81 26
On free persons of color, between the ages Of IS
and so, excepting those who are incapable OF
maintaining themselves 8 0O
On every s 90 of the value of lands, according
classification 80
On every SlOC of the actual value of city and
town lots with Improvements, %
On every 90 OF income profit, from fac
forage empIoyments and professions. and from
commissions by vcndue masters and commits
sion merchants. %
On every SlQO of bank capital which has not
paid bonus to the State, 40
On every 800 of foreign bank capital employed
by agents in the State, 80
On every 500 of Gas Light Company stock, AZ
On every 500 of premiums received by in
surance companies, not chartered by The
On every s 90 of sales of goods. and mer-
chandize, made within the fiscal year, p
On every 500 of sales of goods, wares and
merchandise, if made by transient persons, 90
On every SlVO Of money invested at interest out
of the State 10
On every 81 90 of gross receipts of foreign COM
mercial agencies, 90
On every 81 90 of salaries above $500, so
On circus exhibitions. per day, 20 90
Or theatrical and other scenic entertainments,
per day. 90
On every billiard table, Is 90
On the sale of every pack of cards within the
State, ID
This schedule comprises all the taxes levied by
the Act to raise supplies for the year 1861.
The chief sources of revenue are slaves aEG
land
A prime male slave is worth 81 300, and the tax
on SUCH at 81 30 per head, is at the rate OF 10
cents on the 800 of value. Slaves in gang, in
Guiding old and young, are worth 500 per head,
and on such the rate of taxation is less than 20
cents on the 800 of value
The land tax of South Carolina is so singular and
anomalous that the rate of taxation does not in the
least, indicate the per centuge of the tax on the
value of that kind of property.
Under an Act passed more than forty years ago,
all the land in the State for the purpose of taxa
ton was divided into classes, and to each class
valuation affixed, which has not been chang
ed. The valuation of these classes ascends from
20 cents to S26 per acre. The land tax is asses
sed on the value, according to this classification.
The total number of returned for taxation is
II 800, GOO of this number more than 100000
acres are returned in the class of 20 cents
more than 4 0O0,0 G0 arc returned in the class of
40 cents acre, and only somewhat over l,UOO,-
900 acres are returned in the classes valued over
81 per acre Under the Act of 1861, the tax
payabe on 100 acres of land returned in the class
of 20 cents acre, is tacenty-srr cents. In the
class Of 40 cents acre. the tax 100 acres is 25
cents. The tax assessed at 20 cents,
is mills and Cloths, so that the owner Of less
than acres Of land can pay no tax because one
cent, the lowest coin, exceeds the amount of his
tax. very large portion of the most valuable
cotton land in the State, worth from SO to $40
per acre, is returned for taxation at 20 cents per
acre. A track Of 900 acres, saleabe for $40 ,0U0
and classed at 20 cents per acre, is assessed for
taxation the statute valuation Of 5000, and pays
a tax Of So, go. If the 900 acres is worth Sl0-
coo or $4,000, it pays the same tax Of $3.50. Ac-
cording the ,OOQ acres may be worth either of
the three sums before mentioned the tax actually
assessed under the Act of 1861, instead of being
at the rate of 81 80 on the S10G of value, is in
fact, assessed only at the of cent and mills
on the 500 of value in the first stated and at
the rate of cents and mills in the second and
at the rate of cents and mills in the last case
1t must be noticed that only land is taxed. and
not the improvements, however costly valuable
they may be. If cotton factory in which
half million Of dollars is invested, be located
lot of land less than four acres, within the class
of land valued at 20 cents per acre, the tax be
assessed under the Act of 1861 on the land and
improvements would be less than one cent.
The best Sea Island cotton lands are returned
value is from fifty to one hundred dollars per acre
Even at the lowest figure, the tax is assessed
valuation more than twelve times less than the
tual value, which, In effect, reduces the nominal
rate Of 81 30 on every hundred dollars Of value to
an actual rate less than eleven cents on every hun
dred dollars Of value The best quality rice lands
are classified at twentysix dollars per acre they
sell for one hundred dollars per If one hun
dred and fifty dollars be taken the average sea-
bic value, tie assessed value is only about
sixth of the actual value, and the nominal rate of
81 80 is reduced to the actual rate of about twenty
-one cents every hundred dollars of value.
1t is thus shown that the actual tax paid on a
large portion of the lands returned in the class of
twenty per is at the rate Of one cent and
three mills every hundre dollars Of value, being
only the Onehundreh part Of the statute rate of
81 80 on every hundred dollars of value
On the best Sea Island cotton lands, the actual
rate Of taxation is only about eleven cents, and
the best tide swamp rice lands the actual rate is
only about twenty-one cents, instead of 81 80
every hundred dollars
1t will be noticed that city and town lots,
which are assessed for taxation at the actual value
of the land and improvements, the rate is only
twenty-five cents on every hundred dollars value.
An exhibi: of the rate of taxation on the aggre-
gate of the property which is taxed will present
more satisfactory of the State taxes
will assume seven hundred dollars to be the
value of slaves per head and six dollars to be the
average value of lands in the State:
$50, OO6 slaves at 800 per head is S27O 600, 900
500. 900 of land, Sc per acre .05OOO,0OO
The total of other subjects of taxation, ia