Mount Pleasant, SC Local Taxes & Fees: Business Tax Classification (2026)
Key Facts
- Rate classes
- Nine classes, Class 1 ($40 base) to Class 7 ($70 base)
- Classes 8-9
- Individually rated by NAICS number, e.g. contractors
- Non-resident rate
- Doubled for no fixed place of business in town
- Declining rate
- 70% of class rate above $3,000,000 gross income
- Schedule updates
- Town Council re-adopts schedule by Dec. 31 odd years
Summary
Every business operating in the Town of Mount Pleasant is taxed under one of nine classification-based rate tiers set out in Town Code Sec. 110.21, with the License Official assigning the NAICS classification that most specifically fits the business and Town Council periodically updating the Appendix A and B rate schedules.
(A) The business license tax for each class of businesses or charitable organizations subject to this chapter shall be computed in accordance with the current business license rate schedule, designated as Appendix A to this chapter, which may be amended from time to time by Town Council. ... The classification in the most recent version of the business license class schedule adopted by the Council that most specifically identifies the subject business shall be applied to the business. ... Rate Class Income: $0 - $2,000 Base Rate Income over $2,000 Rate per $1,000 or fraction thereof 1 $40.00 $1.54 ... 7 $70.00 $3.04 ... NON-RESIDENT RATES: Unless otherwise specifically provided, all taxes and rates shall be doubled for nonresidents and itinerants having no fixed principal place of business within the municipality. DECLINING RATES: Declining rates apply in all Classes for gross income in excess of $3,000,000, unless otherwise specifically provided for in this appendix. ... Over $3 million 70%
Full Breakdown
Mount Pleasant sorts every licensed business into one of nine numbered rate classes under Sec. 21 of the Code of Ordinances, and the License Official has authority to decide which classification most specifically identifies the subject business when more than one NAICS category could apply. 04 per $1,000. Classes 8 and 9 sit outside the standard sliding scale; Sec. 11 per additional $1,000 and cannot be issued a license until state trade qualification exams and required bonds are on file. Every rate and class doubles for nonresidents and itinerants with no fixed principal place of business in town under the Appendix A non-resident-rate rule, and businesses earning over $3,000,000 in gross income get a declining rate of 70% of the class rate on income above that threshold.
By December 31 of each odd-numbered year, Town Council must re-adopt the standardized class schedule published by the Municipal Association of South Carolina as the new Appendix B, and Sec. 19 backs the whole chapter with a fine of up to $500 or 30 days in jail for noncompliance.
Violations & Fines
Misclassifying a business or failing to pay the tax due under the assigned Sec. 110.21 rate class is enforced under the general Chapter 110 violations section, Sec. 110.19: a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days imprisonment, or both, with each day of nonpayment a separate offense, plus a late penalty of 5% of the unpaid tax per month up to a 30% annual cap under Sec. 110.12.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Mount Pleasant decide which tax class a business falls into?
Do contractors pay a flat business license rate in Mount Pleasant?
Does a Mount Pleasant business get a discount for high gross income?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mount Pleasant
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Business Tax Classification in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Charleston County handle business tax classification.