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3/10/26 UPDATE: This bill passed the Senate with amendments and the House concurred with a vote of 71-49.
Rep. Jordan Pace offered several amendments in attempts to make H.4216 a tax cut for everyone, not just a portion of the population. None were adopted. Before the vote to concur was taken, Rep. April Cromer told the body that they had all day to “trim the fat” of bureaucracy, but instead the House decided to give more money to state agencies and increase taxes on over 20% of South Carolina taxpayers. “Next year this could be devastating for some families.”
The South Carolina legislature has come back to attempt passage of H.4216 which increases taxes for lower income families and eliminates all standard and itemized deductions. Legislators tried to push this through last year, as we sounded the alarm in previous reporting, but thankfully legislators were forced by the grassroots to hold off due to clear opposition. Now, they are back to finish what they started if you don’t act soon.
The Scary Details – Reverse Robin Hood
As described by former Rep. Jonathon Hill in his latest Bad Bill Sheet, H.4216 changes the state individual income tax in four major ways:
- Establishes two tax brackets: 1.99% for all incomes up to $30,000 a year and 5.39% for all other incomes.
- Eliminates all standard and itemized deductions.
- Add a graduated deduction of up to $30,000 for those earning less than $110,000.
- Conditionally lowers the top rate by 1% per year until it reaches 1.99%.
Attached to H.4216 is a fiscal impact statement that initially raises the income tax on roughly 24% of state taxpayers. Instead of eliminating the income tax like other states, your legislators want to play king of wealth redistribution and lower income households are the ones who suffer.
Find Out How Your Income Will Be Impacted
By plugging in your household’s 2025 income, filing status, and number of kids in your household to this interactive calculator, you can find out how your tax return will be impacted under H.4216. HUGE thank you to Palmetto Maple for creating this program for our use!
Note: This program only allows up to three kids to be claimed. It is important to remember that under H.4216, you will not be able to claim any deductions, which will impact all households with children and their tax return.
What They’re Not Telling You
If lawmakers wanted to genuinely reduce the taxpayer’s burden, they would eliminate the burden…of taxation. It’s that simple. There are countless ways state funding could (and should) be trimmed. In May, we reported that legislators solidified a $39 billion budget for FY 2025-2026.
Legislators even had an opportunity in May to give taxpayers an extra $1 billion surplus, but they decided to find a way to spend it since they had the extra money. They also funded state-sponsored abortions, built an $18 million walkway for MUSC, spent more than $13 million for Green New Deal USC battery study, and funded several Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives like $6 million to the Human Affairs Commission and another $6 million to the SC Sea Grant Consortium to study climate change.
And that’s just the beginning. Take all of those useless projects and multiple it by $30 billion or more.
House Passed H.4216 in May 2025
Shortly before gaveling out for summer break, the SC House passed H.4216 with a vote of 64 Yeas and 47 Nays. See how your legislator voted:
53 of those 64 yes votes are sponsoring this tax hike on the lower class.
Action That Must Be Taken Now
This bill is awaiting passage on the Senate floor. Contact your State Senator (emails below) and tell them to vote AGAINST H.4216 and tell them to instead eliminate the income tax by cutting useless spending (like some of the programs/projects we named above.) Don’t know who your senator is? Find out HERE.
Your legislators can cut taxes if they want to, you just have to give them a reason. Otherwise, they will continue to offer up slop like H.4216 with help from groups like Palmetto Promise and call it a tax break. Tired of having your intelligence insulted? Make your voices heard, sooner rather than later.