In Short: Does a South Carolina LLC File an Annual Report?
Not in most cases. A South Carolina LLC taxed as a partnership or a disregarded entity files no annual report with the Secretary of State or the Department of Revenue. An LLC taxed as a corporation is the exception: it files an annual report with its South Carolina corporate tax return.
- Most LLCs: no annual report and no annual fee.
- LLCs taxed as a corporation: an annual report (Schedule D) filed with the SC1120 or SC1120S, plus a license fee of at least $25.
- First filing for those LLCs: Form CL-1 within 60 days of starting business in South Carolina.
- What every LLC keeps current: a registered agent and designated office, $10 to change.
- If fees or taxes go unpaid: 60 days past due is a ground for administrative dissolution. Reinstatement costs $25 within two years.
South Carolina’s LLC Act has no annual report section, and the Department of Revenue lists an LLC not taxed as a corporation among the entities that owe no annual report or license fee. For most LLCs, that means no yearly state filing at all.
The rule changes when an LLC elects corporate tax treatment. This guide covers both cases, what every South Carolina LLC has to keep current, and how dissolution and reinstatement work.
South Carolina LLC Annual Report at a Glance
| Official name | None for most LLCs. LLCs taxed as corporations: annual report (Schedule D) on the SC corporate return |
|---|---|
| Filed with | South Carolina Department of Revenue (corporate-taxed LLCs only) |
| Who files | Only LLCs taxed as S or C corporations |
| Filing cycle | Every year, with the corporate tax return |
| Due date | With the SC1120 or SC1120S; the statute sets the 15th day of the fourth month after the tax year ends |
| Fee | No fee for most LLCs. Corporate-taxed LLCs: license fee of at least $25 |
| Late fee or penalty | Corporate-taxed LLCs: 5% per month late filing and 0.5% per month late payment, each up to 25% |
| Reinstatement | $25 plus a Certificate of Tax Compliance, within two years of dissolution |
| Where to file | MyDORWAY for the tax return; Secretary of State business filings for agent changes |
Does a South Carolina LLC Need to File an Annual Report?
Not if it is taxed as a partnership or a disregarded entity. Title 33, Chapter 44 of the South Carolina Code, the state’s LLC Act, contains no annual report requirement. The Department of Revenue’s corporate FAQs list an LLC not taxed as a corporation first among the entities not subject to the annual report or license fee, and the Secretary of State’s business entity FAQ mentions annual reports only for corporations.
The Exception: LLCs Taxed as Corporations
South Carolina Code § 12-2-25 treats an LLC taxed as a corporation for South Carolina income tax purposes as a corporation, and its members as shareholders. Such an LLC files an SC1120 or SC1120S and includes the annual report, Schedule D, as part of that return. Officer changes are updated on Schedule D each year.
Due date
Section 12-20-20 sets the annual report due on or before the 15th day of the fourth month after the tax year ends, and an extension to file the return does not extend the time to pay the license fee. The Department of Revenue lists the SC1120 as due on the 15th day of the fourth month (April 15 for a calendar year) and the SC1120S on the 15th day of the third month (March 15 for a calendar year).
License fee
The license fee is $15 plus $1 for each $1,000 of capital stock and paid-in surplus, with a $25 minimum (§ 12-20-50). An LLC taxed as a corporation that is dormant or has no income still files the return with Schedule D and pays the $25 minimum each year.
The initial report: Form CL-1
A newly active LLC taxed as a corporation files Form CL-1, the Initial Annual Report of Corporations, with the Department of Revenue within 60 days of starting business in South Carolina, and pays the $25 minimum license fee. The form asks for the FEIN, the start date in South Carolina, the registered agent, and the owners and officers. LLCs not taxed as corporations do not file it.
What Every South Carolina LLC Must Keep Current
Under § 33-44-108, every LLC must continuously keep a designated office and an agent for service of process in South Carolina. Changes are filed with the Secretary of State on a Notice of Change of Designated Office, Agent or Address of Registered Agent: Form F0080 for a domestic LLC and Form F0086 for a foreign LLC, $10 each. An agent resigns on Form F0065 or F0066, also $10.
How to Stay Compliant in South Carolina: Step by Step
- Confirm how the LLC is taxed. A partnership or disregarded entity files no annual report; a corporate election brings the Department of Revenue filings below.
- File Form CL-1 if taxed as a corporation. Submit it within 60 days of starting business in South Carolina, with the $25 minimum license fee.
- File the yearly return. Submit the SC1120 or SC1120S with Schedule D through MyDORWAY or approved software, and pay the license fee by the original due date.
- Keep the agent current. File Form F0080 or F0086 with the Secretary of State, for $10, whenever the agent or designated office changes.
- Keep records. Save each confirmation with the LLC’s records.
What Happens If Fees or Taxes Go Unpaid?
Section 33-44-809 makes it a ground for administrative dissolution when an LLC does not pay a fee, tax or penalty within 60 days after it is due. The Secretary of State serves notice, and if the problem is not corrected within 60 days, it dissolves the LLC by certificate (§ 33-44-810). A dissolved LLC can only wind up its affairs. A foreign LLC can have its certificate of authority revoked for an unpaid fee, tax or penalty (§ 33-44-1006).
For LLCs taxed as corporations, a late return carries a penalty of 5% per month up to 25%, and late payment carries 0.5% per month up to 25%.
Reinstating a dissolved South Carolina LLC
An administratively dissolved LLC must apply for reinstatement within two years (§ 33-44-811). It files Form F0048, Application for Reinstatement by a Limited Liability Company Dissolved by Administrative Action, with a $25 fee and a Certificate of Tax Compliance from the Department of Revenue. Reinstatement relates back to the dissolution date.
South Carolina Tips for Non-Resident Owners
Know your tax classification, because it decides whether South Carolina expects an annual report at all. If you elect S corporation status for the LLC, add Form CL-1 and the yearly license fee to your calendar. Keep the registered agent current: a dissolution notice reaches you through the agent, and the reinstatement window closes after two years.
Keep Your South Carolina LLC in Good Standing
Keeping a registered agent on file, and filing the corporate return on time if the LLC is taxed as a corporation, is what keeps your South Carolina LLC in good standing. Banks, payment processors and new partners ask for proof of that status, and the document that shows it is a South Carolina certificate of good standing. For the full picture of what the state charges each year, see our breakdown of South Carolina LLC costs, and if you have not formed the company yet, start with our guide on how to start an LLC in South Carolina.
Most missed filings trace back to one problem: the state’s reminder went to an old address. A registered agent service that scans and forwards state mail closes that gap. If a deadline has already passed, our guide on what happens when you miss an annual report deadline walks through the fix, and our LLC annual report guide for every state covers the rules in other states where you are registered.
Form Your South Carolina LLC With BusinessAnywhere
BusinessAnywhere forms your South Carolina LLC for $0 plus the state filing fee, includes a free first year of registered agent service so state notices reach you, and gets the EIN for non-residents without a Social Security number for $97.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a South Carolina LLC have to file an annual report?
Not if it is taxed as a partnership or a disregarded entity. Only an LLC taxed as a corporation files an annual report, as part of its South Carolina corporate tax return.
What does an S corporation LLC file in South Carolina?
It files the SC1120S with Schedule D, the annual report, and pays a license fee of at least $25 to the Department of Revenue.
What is Form CL-1?
The Initial Annual Report of Corporations. An LLC taxed as a corporation files it with the Department of Revenue within 60 days of starting business in South Carolina.
Does South Carolina charge LLCs an annual fee?
Not LLCs taxed as partnerships or disregarded entities. LLCs taxed as corporations pay an annual license fee of at least $25.
How much does it cost to change a South Carolina LLC’s registered agent?
$10, on Form F0080 for a domestic LLC or Form F0086 for a foreign LLC.
How much does it cost to reinstate a South Carolina LLC?
$25 on Form F0048, plus a Certificate of Tax Compliance from the Department of Revenue, within two years of dissolution.
This guide summarizes rules published by the South Carolina Secretary of State, the South Carolina Department of Revenue and South Carolina law as of October 2026. It is general information, not legal or tax advice. Fees and forms change, so confirm the current figures on the official site before you file.
