2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 27 - Property and Conveyances › Chapter 16 - Catawba Indian Claims Settlement Act › Section 27-16-130. Taxation of Tribe and tribal persons, entities, and property; taxation of persons or enterprises operating or doing business on Reservation.

(A) The Tribe, its members, the Tribal Trust Funds, and other persons or entities affiliated with or owned by the Tribe, members of the Tribe, or the Tribal Trust Funds, whether a resident, located, or doing business on or off the Reservation, are subject to all state and local taxes, sales taxes, real and personal property taxes, excise taxes, estate taxes, and all other taxes, licenses, levies, and fees, except as expressly provided in this section or the federal implementing legislation. Any other person or business entity which locates, operates, or does business on the Reservation is subject without exception to all state and local taxes, licenses, and fees, unless otherwise expressly provided in this chapter. To the extent the Tribe may be subject to taxes under this section, the Tribe must be taxed as if it were a business corporation incorporated under the laws of South Carolina unless otherwise expressly provided.
(B) If the Tribe elects to sponsor and conduct games of bingo under the special bingo licenses under Section 27-16-110(C), the gross revenues generated by the bingo games must be subject to the ten percent tax levy specified in that section exclusively, and no other federal, state, or local taxes apply to revenues generated by the bingo games which are received by the Tribe.
(C)(1) Income of the Tribe, subdivisions and governmental agencies of the Tribe, including entities owned by the Tribe or the federal government on behalf of the Tribe, the Tribal Trust funds, and tax revenues collected by the Tribe by levy or assessment which are nontaxable for federal income tax purposes because of the Tribe's status as a recognized or restored Indian tribe also are nontaxable for purposes of state income taxes or local income taxes.
(2) Members of the Tribe are liable for payment of state and local income taxes to the same extent as any other person in the State, except income earned by members of the Tribe for work performing governmental functions solely on the Reservation is exempt for ninety-nine years from the effective date of this chapter. Income earned by members of the Tribe from the sale of Catawba Indian pottery and artifacts, on or off the Reservation, which are made by members of the Tribe are exempt from state and local income taxes. No funds distributed pursuant to the Per Capita Payment Trust Fund created by the federal implementing legislation are subject at the time of distribution to state or local income taxes. However, income subsequently earned on shares distributed to members of the Tribe is subject to the same state and local income taxes as other persons in the State pay.
(3) A person or other entity not exempt from income taxes under items (1) and (2) are liable for all federal, state, and local income taxes otherwise due regardless of whether or not they are doing business on the Reservation.
(D)(1) All lands held in trust by the United States for the Tribe as part of the Reservation, all nonresidential buildings, fixtures, and real property improvements owned by the Tribe or held in trust by the United States for the Tribe on the Reservation are exempt from all property taxes levied by the State, a county, a school district, and a special purpose district. If the Tribe owns a partial interest in property or a business, the property tax exemption provided in this section is applicable to the extent of the Tribe's interest.
(2)(a) Single and multi-family residences, including mobile homes, situated on the Reservation are exempt from all property taxes levied by the State, a county, a school district, and a special purpose district if all the following apply:
(i) they are owned by the Tribe, members of the Tribe, or Tribal Trust Funds;
(ii) for single family residences, if they are occupied by a member of the Tribe or the surviving spouse of a deceased member of the Tribe;
(iii) for multifamily residences;
a. if the property is valued on a per unit basis, those units which are occupied by a member of the Tribe or the surviving spouse of a deceased member or are unoccupied are exempt from property taxes. All other occupied units are subject to property taxes to the same extent that similar property is assessed and taxed elsewhere in the same jurisdiction. Occupancy is determined on the assessment date for the property;
b. if the property is not valued on a per unit basis, the property is exempt from property taxes based on the percentage of units which are occupied by a member of the Tribe or the surviving spouse of a deceased member of the Tribe, and the property is subject to property taxes to the same extent that similar property is assessed and taxed elsewhere in the same jurisdiction based on the percentage of units not so occupied. In calculating the value, unoccupied units must not be considered. Occupancy is determined on the assessment date for the property;
(iv) rental property constructed by the Tribe on the reservation through an Indian Housing Authority which is financed by HUD is exempt from all property taxes. In lieu of the taxes, the authority may agree to make payments to the county or a political subdivision for improvements, services, and facilities furnished by the county or political subdivision for the benefit of the housing project. However, the payments may not exceed the estimated cost to the county or political subdivision of the improvements, services, or facilities furnished.
(b) For purposes of this section, residential property is deemed to be owned by a member of the Tribe if the member or the surviving spouse of a member owns at least a one-half undivided interest in the property, and a unit is deemed occupied by members of the Tribe if at least one member or the surviving spouse of a member is living in the single-family residence or in a unit of a multi-family residence.
(3) All buildings, fixtures, and real property improvements located on the Reservation which are not exempt from real property taxes under items (1) or (2) are subject to all property taxes levied by the State, a county, a school district, a special purpose district, and any other political subdivision to the same extent that similar buildings, fixtures, or improvements are assessed and taxed elsewhere in the same jurisdiction. However, the underlying land or leasehold in the land is not subject to real property taxes. All buildings, fixtures, and improvements subject to real property taxes are eligible for a tax abatement or temporary exemption allowed new business investments to the same extent as similar properties qualify for exemption or abatement in the same county.
(4) The Tribe is authorized to levy taxes on buildings, fixtures, improvements, and personal property located on the Reservation, even though the properties may be exempt from property taxation by the State or its subdivisions, and may use the tax revenues for appropriate tribal purposes. The Tribe also may exempt or abate the taxes. York and Lancaster Counties and the South Carolina Tax Commission shall provide the necessary assistance to the Tribe if the Tribe chooses to assess tribal real property taxes as if they were property taxes imposed by a political subdivision.
(5) Real property and improvements owned by the Tribe or by members of the Tribe, or both, and not located on the Reservation are subject to all property taxes levied by the State, the county, the school district, special purpose districts, and any other political subdivisions where the property is located.
(6) To the extent that any non-Reservation real property held in trust by the Secretary is not taxable for property tax purposes, it is subject to the payment of a fee or fees by the Tribe in an amount equivalent to the real property tax that would have been paid to the applicable taxing authority if the property had not been held in trust.
(E)(1) All personal property owned by the Tribe during ninety-nine years from the effective date of this chapter and used solely on the Reservation is exempt from personal property taxes levied by the State, a county, a school district, a special purpose district, and any other political subdivision. However, motor vehicles owned by the Tribe during the ninety-nine year period are exempt from personal property taxes even if used off the Reservation.
(2) All personal property owned by members of the Tribe is subject to personal property taxes levied by the State, a county, a school district, a special purpose district, and any other political subdivisions where the property is deemed to be located.
(3) All personal property located on the Reservation which is not exempt from personal property taxes under item (1) is subject to personal property taxes levied by the State, a county, a school district, a special purpose district, and any other political subdivision encompassing the Reservation to the same extent that similar personal property is assessed and taxed elsewhere in the jurisdiction.
(4) For purposes of subsection (D) and this subsection, the determination of whether the Tribe is the owner of property must be made in the same manner as for other taxpayers for South Carolina property tax purposes.
(F) Subject to perfected security interests, if a taxpayer subject to property taxes under subsections (D) and (E) fails to pay the taxes, the appropriate taxing authority for the county or other political subdivision has the power to levy against personal property subject to personal property taxes owned by the taxpayer within the county, on or off the Reservation, in order to satisfy the taxes due.
(1) If this levy against the personal property is not sufficient to satisfy the tax lien, the county or other political subdivision may certify the deficiency to the State, and the State shall levy against other taxable property of the taxpayer in the State and remit proceeds to the county or appropriate taxing authority which is owed the tax.
(2) If the county or other political subdivision cannot satisfy its lien, the county or appropriate taxing authority may require the Tribe to cease allowing the taxpayer to do business on the Reservation.
(3) If the taxpayer is in bankruptcy, the bankruptcy statutes apply to this section.
(4) The State or any political subdivision may not seize real property located on the Reservation.
(G) The Tribe and its members are subject to all license and registration fees and requirements, all periodic inspection fees and requirements, and all fuel taxes imposed by the State and local governments on motor vehicles, boats, airplanes, and other means of conveyance.
(H) The Tribe, its members, and the Tribal Trust Funds are liable for the payment of all state and local sales and use taxes to the same extent as any other person or entity in the State, except as specifically provided as follows:
(1) Purchases made by the Tribe for tribal government functions during ninety-nine years from the effective date of this chapter are exempt from state and local sales and use taxes.
(2) Catawba pottery and artifacts made by members of the Tribe and sold on or off the Reservation by the Tribe or members of the Tribe are exempt from state and local sales and use tax.
(3) During ninety-nine years from the effective date of this chapter, the sale on the Reservation of all other items, made on or off the Reservation, are exempt from state and local sales and use taxes but are subject to a special tribal sales tax levied by the Tribe equal to the state and local sales tax that would be levied in the jurisdiction encompassing the Reservation but for this exemption.
(a) The South Carolina sales and use tax laws, regulations, and rulings apply to the special tribal sales tax, and the special tribal sales tax must be administered and collected by the South Carolina Tax Commission.
(b) The South Carolina Tax Commission separately shall account for the special tribal sales tax, and the State Treasurer shall remit the special tribal sales tax revenues periodically to the Tribe at no cost to the Tribe.
(c) The tribal sales tax does not apply to retail sales occurring on the Reservation as a result of delivery from outside the Reservation when the gross proceeds of sale are one hundred dollars or less. If it does not apply, the state sales tax applies.
(d) The Tribe shall impose a tribal use tax on the storage, use, or other consumption on the Reservation of tangible personal property purchased at retail outside the State when the vendor does not collect the tax. However, use taxes collected by a vendor which is not located in the State are subject to state use taxes, and the use tax must be remitted to the State and not the Tribe. Use taxes not collected by the vendor and remitted to the State are subject to the tribal use tax and must be collected directly by the Tribe.
(I) Reserved.
(J) Members of the Tribe are liable for payment of all estate and inheritance taxes, except the undistributed share of a member in the Per Capita Payment Trust Fund established by the federal implementing legislation and the Settlement Agreement are exempt from state estate and inheritance taxes.
(K) The Indian Tribal Government Tax Status Act, 26 U.S.C. Section 7871, applies to the Tribe and its Reservation for South Carolina income tax purposes to the same extent as provided in the federal implementing legislation.
HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 142, Section 1; 2019 Act No. 57 (H.3205), Section 2, eff May 16, 2019.
Effect of Amendment
2019 Act No. 57, Section 2, reserved (I), which had required the Tribe to pay a fee in lieu of school taxes.