The Homestead Exemption is an exemption of taxes on the first $50,000 in Taxable Market Value of your Legal Residence for homeowners 65 years of age or older, totally and permanently disabled, or legally blind.

To qualify for the Homestead Exemption, statements 1, 2 and 3 must be true.

1. You hold complete fee simple title to your primary legal residence or life estate to your primary legal residence or you are the beneficiary of a trust that holds title to your primary legal residence.
2. As of December 31 preceding the tax year of the exemption, you were a legal resident of South Carolina for one calendar year
3. As of December 31 preceding the tax year of the exemption, you must be one of the following :

• 65 years of age or older
• Declared totally and permanently disabled by a state or federal agency having the authority to make such a declaration
• Legally blind as certified by a licensed ophthalmologist.

Under South Carolina law, homestead exemptions fall under the jurisdiction of the Auditor’s Office. For taxpayer convenience, Greenville County applications for homestead exemption are administered by Greenville County Real Property Services.

Contact Greenville County Real Property Services for homestead application.

While this is not a complete list, below are some acceptable documents used as proof of eligibility when applying due to age, disability or blindness:

• If you are applying due to age, provide your birth certificate, South Carolina Driver’s License, or South Carolina ID.
• If you are applying due to disability, you will need to present documentation from the state or federal agency certifying the original award date of disability. A person claiming to be totally and permanently disabled, but who has not been classified by one of the agencies, may apply to the state agency of Vocational Rehabilitation.
• If you are applying due to blindness, you will need to present documentation from a licensed ophthalmologist.
• If you are the income beneficiary of a trust, you will also need to present a copy of the trust agreement.

No, only in the case of the death of the eligible owner or you move to a new residence.

The surviving spouse of a qualified or potentially qualified Homestead recipient may receive the benefit as a surviving spouse as long as the decedent was eligible for the Homestead Exemption at the time of death and the surviving spouse meets all of the following conditions:

• Obtains complete fee simple title or life estate or you are the beneficiary of a trust that holds title to your legal residence, within nine months after the death of the qualifying spouse,
• The surviving spouse lives in the home as his/her primary legal residence and
• Remains unmarried.

Yes, you can qualify on the new residence if you continue to meet the following requirements:

1. You hold complete fee simple title to your primary legal residence or life estate to your primary legal residence or you are the beneficiary of a trust that holds title to your primary legal residence.
2. As of December 31 preceding the tax year of the exemption, you were a legal resident of South Carolina for one calendar year
3. As of December 31 preceding the tax year of the exemption, you must be one of the following:

• 65 years of age or older
• Declared totally and permanently disabled by a state or federal agency having the authority to make such a declaration
• Legally blind as certified by a licensed ophthalmologist.