Anderson County, SC Hotels & Lodging: Transient Occupancy Tax (2026)
Key Facts
- Fee rate
- 3% of gross rental proceeds
- Governing section
- Sec. 2-1103
- Remittance deadline
- 20th of each month
- Exempt stays
- 30+ continuous days
- Collected by
- County finance department
- Late penalty
- 5%/month, capped at 100%
- Misdemeanor fine
- $500.00, per-day violations
Summary
Anderson County levies a uniform 3 percent accommodations fee on the gross proceeds from renting any hotel, motel, inn, bed and breakfast, condominium, campground, or RV space to a transient guest anywhere in the county, under Sec. 2-1103. The consumer pays it at checkout, and the provider collects and remits it monthly to the county finance department.
A uniform fee equal to three percent is hereby imposed on the gross proceeds derived from the rental of any accommodation within the county.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2).
Full Breakdown
The fee applies to 'any room (excluding meeting and conference rooms), campground spaces, recreational vehicle space, lodgings, or sleeping accommodations furnished to transients' under Sec. 2-1102, but stays of 30 continuous days or longer to the same renter are not treated as transient and fall outside the fee. Sec. 2-1104 makes the accommodations fee 'the liability of the consumer,' collected by the provider at the time services are delivered; the provider must use a county-prescribed return form with a sworn declaration of accuracy and remit it, with a copy of the state sales tax computation form, by the 20th of each month (the next business day if the 20th falls on a weekend or holiday) to the Anderson County Finance Department at 101 South Main Street.
Sec. 2-1105 places all collections into the segregated 'Anderson County accommodations fee special revenue fund,' and Sec. 2-1106 directs county council to spend that fund only on capital projects and tourism/tourist-service support benefiting the visitors who generated it. Sec. 2-1107 lets the compliance officer, finance officer, or another authorized county agent enter premises, inspect books, and audit records on 24 hours' written notice; refusing that access is itself unlawful, and inspection records are exempt from public disclosure.
Violations & Fines
Under Sec. 2-1108, it is a violation to fail to collect or remit the fee, knowingly falsify the return, or withhold records from an audit after 24 hours' notice. The penalty is 5 percent per month (or part of a month) on the unpaid fee, capped at 100 percent, plus possible misdemeanor prosecution carrying a $500.00 fine; each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Anderson County charge a hotel or lodging tax?
Who actually pays the accommodations fee?
Are extended-stay guests exempt from the fee?
What happens if a hotel doesn't remit the fee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anderson County
Compare Anderson County to another location·View the South Carolina hotels & lodging overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.