South Carolina collected $15.6 billion in state taxes in 2023, marking a 3.1% decrease from the previous year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC).
The largest portion of tax revenue came from sales and gross receipts taxes ($7.5 billion) and income taxes ($7.1 billion).
The State Government Tax Collections (STC) survey tracks five major tax categories and up to 25 subcategories, gathering data from all 50 state governments and their dependent agencies.
The Census Bureau notes that it defines tax classifications consistently across states, which may differ from how individual states categorize them.
All figures in this article reflect taxes collected by state governments only, based on the STC. They do not include local taxes, such as most property taxes, which make up a significant portion of overall taxes paid by residents.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, state and local governments collect a wide range of taxes to fund public programs and services. These revenues are typically allocated to areas such as transportation, education, and public safety. In 2024, state tax collections alone amounted to nearly $1.5 trillion nationwide, representing a significant part of overall government operations.
Below is a breakdown of how taxes were classified by the bureau and how much was collected.
| Type of Tax | Amount |
|---|---|
| Property taxes | $96,834,000 |
| Sales and gross receipts taxes | $7,459,355,000 |
| License taxes | $757,210,000 |
| Income taxes | $7,139,201,000 |
| Other taxes | $196,677,000 |
| General sales and gross receipts taxes | $5,124,195,000 |
| Selective sales and gross receipts taxes | $2,335,160,000 |
| Alcoholic beverages sales taxes | $222,332,000 |
| Amusements sales taxes | $58,264,000 |
| Insurance premiums sales taxes | $337,845,000 |
| Motor fuels sales taxes | $1,017,130,000 |
| Public utilities sales taxes | $29,538,000 |
| Tobacco products sales taxes | $120,804,000 |
| Sports betting taxes | – |
| Other selective sales and gross receipts taxes | $549,247,000 |
| Alcoholic beverages license taxes | $16,555,000 |
| Amusements license taxes | $6,376,000 |
| Corporations in general license taxes | $170,146,000 |
| Hunting and fishing license taxes | $24,382,000 |
| Motor vehicle license taxes | $302,979,000 |
| Motor vehicle operators license taxes | $22,336,000 |
| Public utilities license taxes | $15,097,000 |
| Occupation and businesses license taxes | $183,135,000 |
| Other license taxes | $16,204,000 |
| Individual income taxes | $5,782,274,000 |
| Corporation net income taxes | $1,356,927,000 |
| Estate and gift taxes | – |
| Documentary and stock transfer taxes | $196,677,000 |
| Severance taxes | – |
| Other taxes, NEC | $0 |
Information in this story was obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC). The source data can be found here.
