PDF document
- 1 -

Enlarge image
      1350                                      STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA 
                                               DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE                                  WH-105
                                    SOUTH CAROLINA WITHHOLDING TAX              (Rev. 2/13/23) 
 dor.sc.gov                                                                                           8004
                                               INFORMATION GUIDE
Who Must Withhold 
Employers are required to withhold taxes for state purposes and make a return or deposit of these taxes to the SCDOR if 
they: 
      · have employees earning wages in South Carolina, and  
      · are required to make a return or deposit with the IRS. 
 
You  must  withhold  South  Carolina  state  taxes  at  the  same  time  wages  are  earned  by  employees  working  in  South 
Carolina. An employee who works in another state but is a resident of South Carolina will have taxes withheld for the 
other state. However, if that state does not have an Income Tax, you must withhold South Carolina taxes since South 
Carolina is the employee's state of legal residence. 
 
South Carolina also requires withholding from: 
      · royalties 
      · prizes 
      · winnings 
      · nonresident contractors with contracts exceeding $10,000. 
      · rental payments made to nonresidents who own five or more residential units or one or more commercial 
      properties in South Carolina. 
      · persons affected by the 2008 Illegal Immigration Reform Act. 
 
W-4 Requirements 
South Carolina employees must complete the SC W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate.  
      · Each employee hired after December 31, 2019 or previously hired employees who want to make changes to their 
      state withholding must submit a signed SC W-4 to you.  
      · For employees hired after December 31, 2019, you must withhold at the rate of zero allowances if no SC W-4 is 
      provided.  
      · If you receive an SC W-4 from an employee claiming 10 or more withholding allowances or you believe the SC 
      W-4 is fraudulent or incorrect, you must send a copy of the SC W-4 to the SCDOR within 30 days. Mail these SC 
      W-4s to: SCDOR, Tax Support, PO Box 125, Columbia, SC 29214-0400. You must withhold on the basis of the 
      SC W-4 until notified by the SCDOR to withhold at a different rate. 
 
How to Obtain a Withholding File Number 
Your  South  Carolina  Withholding  file  number  is  a  nine  digit  number. Reference  this  file  number  on  all  returns, 
correspondence, and payments to the SCDOR. You must apply for a South Carolina Withholding file number to deposit 
your withholding payments.  
      · The fastest, easiest way to apply is online at MyDORWAY.dor.sc.gov. You can also apply by completing and 
      submitting an SCDOR-111, Business Tax Application. The number makes you a withholding agent.  
      · If the ownership of the business changes, such as a conversion from a partnership to a corporation, you must 
      apply for a new Withholding file number.  
      · A new Withholding file number is not required for a change of address.  
      · If you are required to get a new federal identification number (FEIN), you are also required to get a new South 
      Carolina Withholding file number.  
 
Making Payments - Resident and Nonresident 
If your South Carolina Withholding Tax is $15,000 or more, or you make 24 or more payments in a year, you are required 
to  file  and  pay  electronically.  We  recommend  filing  and  paying  using  MyDORWAY,  our  free  online  tax  portal,  at 
MyDORWAY.dor.sc.gov. 
 
Even  if  you  do  not  meet  this threshold,  we  recommend  managing  your  Withholding  Tax  account  electronically  using 
MyDORWAY, which is the fastest, most secure way to file and pay. For details on filing and payment methods, visit  
dor.sc.gov/withholding.  
 
Payments alone do not satisfy the filing requirement for Withholding returns.  
 
Resident  employers  or  withholding  agents  are  required  to  pay  Withholding  taxes  at  the  same  time  that  their  federal 
payments  are  due,  regardless  of  your  state  amount  withheld.  Resident  employers  are  those  whose  principal  place  of 
business is in South Carolina.  
 
Nonresident employers or withholding agents are required to make payments either quarterly or monthly. If your South 
Carolina state tax liability is less than $500 for the quarter, your payment is due by the last day of the month following the 
end of the quarter. Once your withholding reaches $500 or more during the quarter, it is due by the 15th of the following 
month. Nonresident employers are those whose principal place of business is outside of South Carolina.



- 2 -

Enlarge image
Submitting W-2s  
W-2s and 1099s that have SC Withholding Tax are due to the SCDOR by January 31. If the IRS requires you to file your 
W-2s electronically, you must submit W-2s to the SCDOR online through the W-2 portal at MyDORWAY.dor.sc.gov. If 
you're  not  required  to  submit  W-2s  electronically,  you  can  submit  W-2s  and  1099s  by  paper  using  the  WH-1612, 
Transmittal Form for W-2s, which can be found at dor.sc.gov/forms.
 
For details on filing and payment methods, visit dor.sc.gov/withholding.  
 
Filing Returns  
There  are  two  types  of  Withholding  Tax  returns:  the  WH-1605  and  the  WH-1606.  Annual  filers  should  only  file  the 
WH-1606. See below for more information on annual filers. 
 
WH-1605: SC Withholding Quarterly Tax Return 
You must complete the WH-1605 for the first three quarters of the year.   
 
WH-1606: SC Withholding Fourth Quarter and Annual Reconciliation Return 
You must complete the WH-1606 if your South Carolina Withholding account was open for any portion of the year. Do not 
file a WH-1605 for the fourth quarter.  
 
You must file a return for each quarter as long as the SC Withholding account is open, even if no tax is withheld and there 
are no employees. You will receive delinquent tax notices if you fail to file your quarterly tax returns.  
 
Due Dates for Filing Returns:

                FORM                QUARTER                               DUE DATE
                WH-1605             1st (Jan-Feb-Mar)                     Apr 30
                WH-1605             2nd (Apr-May-Jun)                     Jul 31
                WH-1605             3rd (Jul-Aug-Sep)                     Oct 31
                WH-1606             4th (Oct-Nov-Dec) / ANNUAL (Jan-Dec)  Jan 31

If the due date of the return falls on a holiday or weekend, the return is due on the next business day.  
 
WH-1603: Withholding Tax Tables / WH-1603F: Withholding Tax Formula 
Use the Withholding Tax tables or formula to determine the correct amounts to withhold. Find the most current versions of 
these  documents  at dor.sc.gov/tax/withholding. You  can  also  sign  up  to  have  the  annual  Withholding  Tables  sent 
directly to your inbox each year at dor.sc.gov/emails. 
 
Closing a Withholding Account 
You can close your account:  
      · at MyDORWAY.dor.sc.gov. Log in, select the More tab, then click Close a Tax Account to get started. 
      · by marking the Close Withholding Account box and including a close date on your WH-1605 or WH-1606 return 
You are required to file a return through the closing date. You must file a WH-1606 return if the account was open for any 
portion of the calendar year.  
 
Annual Filers 
If you voluntarily withhold taxes from sources that do not require withholding, such as farmers, domestic help, fishermen, 
or ordained pastors, the SCDOR allows you to file returns and pay Withholding Tax on an annual basis. To find more 
information  on  how  annual  filers  should  correctly  file  Withholding  returns  and  make  Withholding  payments  for  South 
Carolina, visit dor.sc.gov/withholding.  
 
The IRS changed its employment tax filing requirement for certain other businesses from quarterly to annually. As of the 
date of this publication, South Carolina has not adopted this change. 
 
Enterprise Zone Act / Rural Development Act 
Certain taxpayers may qualify for Withholding Tax credits under the Enterprise Zone Act or Rural Development Act. The 
Coordinating  Council  for Economic  Development  certifies taxpayers to claim  Job Development  Credits  (JDC), and  the 
State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education certifies taxpayers to claim Retraining (JRT) credits.  
 
Visit dor.sc.gov/withholding for additional information.






PDF file checksum: 2606532157

(Plugin #1/9.12/13.0)