Bluffton homes in tax district 610 carry 157.9 mills at the 4% legal residence ratio for 2026. Taxes are due Jan. 15, 2027. Treasurer: 843-341-8404.
Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Rates come from the Beaufort County Auditor’s millage cards; due dates and penalties from the Beaufort County Treasurer; exemptions and appeals from the Beaufort County Assessor.
Property taxes on a Bluffton home are billed by Beaufort County and paid to the county treasurer, who collects for the county, the Beaufort County School District, the Bluffton Township Fire District and the Town of Bluffton. Tax year 2026 bills are due Friday, Jan. 15, 2027.
Who to call
- Paying a bill, mailing address, installment plan: Beaufort County Treasurer’s Office, 843-341-8404, myBeaufortCounty.com to view and pay bills online
- Home values, the 4% legal residence ratio, appeals: Beaufort County Assessor’s Office, 843-255-2400
- Vehicle and boat taxes, homestead exemption, how a bill was calculated: Beaufort County Auditor’s Office, 843-255-2500
- Official pages: Treasurer, Assessor, Auditor
Three county offices share the work, and the treasurer’s office says calling the right one first saves time. The assessor values homes and land and decides the 4% legal residence ratio. The auditor values cars and boats, applies the millage and runs the homestead exemption. The treasurer mails the bills and takes the money.
The tax rate in Bluffton
South Carolina taxes property on its assessed value, a share of market value set by state law. An owner-occupied home approved as a legal residence is assessed at 4%. Second homes, rentals and most other property are assessed at 6%. The millage rate is then applied to the assessed value; one mill is $1 of tax for each $1,000 of assessed value.
Most of town falls in Beaufort County tax district 610, Town of Bluffton. The auditor’s tax year 2026 millage card lists:
| Levy | Mills |
|---|---|
| Beaufort County operations, debt, land purchase and capital | 56.5 |
| USCB and Technical College of the Lowcountry | 2.2 |
| Indigent care | 0.8 |
| School operations (not charged on 4% homes) | 126.1 |
| School debt | 36.3 |
| Bluffton Township Fire District | 26.1 |
| Town of Bluffton operations and debt | 36.0 |
| Total at 6% | 284 |
| Total at 4% (owner-occupied) | 157.9 |
Owner-occupied homes do not pay the school operations levy, which is why the 4% total is 126.1 mills lower. Unincorporated Bluffton, district 600, has no town levy: 248 mills at 6% and 121.9 at 4%. Look up your own district with the auditor’s tax district locator.
The rate over six years
The total on owner-occupied homes in district 610 has held between 157.7 and 166.7 mills since tax year 2021, according to the auditor’s millage cards for each year. The 6% total moved from 286.9 mills in 2021 to 284 in 2026.
What a bill looks like
The auditor’s method: move the decimal in the millage three places to the left and multiply by the assessed value. That gives the tax before credits.
- A $400,000 home with the 4% legal residence ratio: assessed value $16,000, times 0.1579, is about $2,526 before credits.
- The same house as a second home or rental at 6%: assessed value $24,000, times 0.284, is about $6,816 before credits.
Your bill may also carry credits and fees that this arithmetic leaves out. The auditor’s tax calculator gives an estimate for any parcel.
Due dates and penalties
All property types except vehicles and boats are due Jan. 15, the treasurer’s office says. After that, penalties stack on the original balance:
| Date | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Jan. 16 | 3% |
| Feb. 3 | 10% |
| March 17 | 15% |
| April 1 | $250 fee, and delinquent tax bills go out |
State law counts a mailed payment as on time by its USPS postmark, and the treasurer warned in January that postmarks now often show the day the mail is processed, not the day it was dropped off. The office recommends paying online at myBeaufortCounty.com or mailing several days early.
Legal residence, homestead and other exemptions
Legal residence (4%). Apply to the assessor with the online Legal Residence Application. For you and your spouse, the assessor asks for a South Carolina driver’s license or ID, South Carolina vehicle registration and your most recent South Carolina income tax return or SSA-1099. Military families add PCS orders, a recent LES and military IDs. Check an application with the exemption viewer.
Homestead exemption. A separate benefit run by the auditor for legal residents who are 65 or older, disabled or legally blind and have lived in South Carolina a full calendar year. Beginning with tax year 2026, it exempts the first $75,000 of value, up from $50,000, under the state’s SLASH program, the auditor’s office says. People already receiving it do not need to reapply.
How to appeal
The assessor mailed 2026 assessment notices at the end of August. The office says this was not a countywide reassessment; a property is reassessed after a sale, a transfer or new construction. The appeals page sets out the steps:
- Object in writing within 90 days of the date on your assessment notice, or file the online appeal. In a year with no notice, you can appeal at any time; one filed before Jan. 15 counts for that tax year.
- Meet the assessor. The office schedules a conference, usually within 30 days. Missing it closes the appeal for the year.
- Protest in writing within 30 days of the conference or the assessor’s notice of action.
- Appeal to the Beaufort County Board of Assessment Appeals within 30 days of the assessor’s reply, then to the Administrative Law Court.
Track an appeal with the appeal viewer.
What this means for you
- Bills for tax year 2026 are due Jan. 15, 2027; the 3% penalty starts the next day.
- If you live in the house, make sure the 4% legal residence ratio is on your bill. It is the difference between 157.9 and 284 mills.
- Homeowners 65 and older should check that the new $75,000 homestead exemption shows up.
- An appeal clock of 90 days starts on the date printed on an assessment notice.
Related: Bluffton home prices, moving to Bluffton and real estate transfers.
Frequently asked questions
When are Beaufort County property taxes due?
By Jan. 15. Tax year 2026 bills are due Friday, Jan. 15, 2027. A 3% penalty is added Jan. 16, rising to 10% on Feb. 3 and 15% on March 17.
What is the millage rate in the Town of Bluffton?
For tax year 2026, Beaufort County tax district 610, the Town of Bluffton, levies 284 mills on property assessed at 6% and 157.9 mills on owner-occupied homes assessed at the 4% legal residence ratio.
How do I get the 4% legal residence rate in Beaufort County?
Apply to the Beaufort County Assessor’s Office with the online Legal Residence Application. You need copies of your South Carolina driver’s license, vehicle registration and most recent South Carolina income tax return or SSA-1099, for you and your spouse.
How do I appeal my property assessment in Beaufort County?
Send the assessor a written objection within 90 days of the date on your assessment notice, or online through the Appeal of Real Property Appraisal form. In a year with no notice, you can appeal at any time; an appeal filed before Jan. 15 applies to that tax year.
How much is the homestead exemption in South Carolina?
Starting with tax year 2026, the homestead exemption takes the first $75,000 of a qualifying home’s value off the tax roll, up from $50,000, the Beaufort County Auditor says. It applies to legal residents 65 or older, disabled or legally blind.
Have your say