Exempted from the fee imposed by this chapter are deeds:

(1) transferring realty in which the value of the realty, as defined in § 12-24-30, is equal to or less than one hundred dollars;

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 12-24-40

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
  • Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
  • individual: means a human being. See South Carolina Code 12-2-20
  • Lineal descendant: Direct descendant of the same ancestors.
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
  • Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
  • partnership: includes a limited liability company taxed for South Carolina income tax purposes as a partnership;

    (2) "partner" includes a member of a limited liability company taxed for South Carolina income tax purposes as a partnership;

    (3) "corporation" includes a limited liability company or professional or other association taxed for South Carolina income tax purposes as a corporation; and

    (4) "shareholder" includes a member of a limited liability company taxed for South Carolina income tax purposes as a corporation. See South Carolina Code 12-2-25
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.

(2) transferring realty to the federal government or to a state, its agencies and departments, and its political subdivisions, including school districts;

(3) that are otherwise exempted under the laws and Constitution of this State or of the United States;

(4) transferring realty in which no gain or loss is recognized by reason of Section 1041 of the Internal Revenue Code as defined in § 12-6-40(A);

(5) transferring realty in order to partition realty, as long as no consideration is paid for the transfer other than the interests in the realty that are exchanged in order to effect the partition;

(6) transferring an individual grave space at a cemetery owned by a cemetery company licensed under Chapter 55 of Title 39;

(7) that constitute a contract for the sale of timber to be cut;

(8) transferring realty to a corporation, a partnership, or a trust as a stockholder, partner, or trust beneficiary of the entity or so as to become a stockholder, partner, or trust beneficiary of the entity as long as no consideration is paid for the transfer other than stock in the corporation, interest in the partnership, beneficiary interest in the trust, or the increase in value in the stock or interest held by the grantor. However, except for transfers from one family trust to another family trust without consideration or transfers from a trust established for the benefit of a religious organization to the religious organization, the transfer of realty from a corporation, a partnership, or a trust to a stockholder, partner, or trust beneficiary of the entity is subject to the fee, even if the realty is transferred to another corporation, a partnership, or trust;

(9) transferring realty from a family partnership to a partner or from a family trust to a beneficiary, as long as no consideration is paid for the transfer other than a reduction in the grantee’s interest in the partnership or trust. A "family partnership" is a partnership whose partners are all members of the same family. A "family trust" is a trust in which the beneficiaries are all members of the same family. "Family" means the grantor, the grantor’s spouse, parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, children, stepchildren, grandchildren, and the spouses and lineal descendant of any of them, and the grantor’s and grantor’s spouse’s heirs under a statute of descent and distribution. A "family partnership" or "family trust" also includes charitable entities, other family partnerships and family trusts of the grantor, and charitable remainder and charitable lead trusts, if all the beneficiaries are charitable entities or members of the grantor’s family. A "charitable entity" means an entity which may receive deductible contributions under Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code as defined in § 12-6-40(A);

(10) transferring realty in a statutory merger or consolidation from a constituent corporation to the continuing or new corporation;

(11) transferring realty in a merger or consolidation from a constituent partnership to the continuing or new partnership;

(12) that constitute a corrective deed or a quitclaim deed used to confirm title already vested in the grantee, as long as no consideration is paid or is to be paid under the corrective or quitclaim deed;

(13) transferring realty subject to a mortgage to the mortgagee whether by a deed in lieu of foreclosure executed by the mortgagor or deed executed pursuant to foreclosure proceedings;

(14) transferring realty from an agent to the agent’s principal in which the realty was purchased with funds of the principal, provided that a notarized document is also filed with the deed that establishes the fact that the agent and principal relationship existed at the time of the original purchase as well as for the purpose of purchasing the realty;

(15) transferring title to facilities for transmitting electricity that is transferred, sold, or exchanged by electrical utilities, municipalities, electric cooperatives, or political subdivisions to a limited liability company which is subject to regulation under the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. § 791(a)) and which is formed to operate or to take functional control of electric transmission assets as defined in the Federal Power Act.