City waiving renewal penalties for month of June

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By Christina Lee Knauss

The city of Columbia’s Business License Division is waiving business license renewal penalty fees for the month of June.

The division is waiving the penalty fees as a show of appreciation for Columbia businesses that are making necessary adjustments to comply with the city’s new business license ordinance for 2022, according to a news release from the city.

The ordinance was passed in response to requirements of the state’s Business License Tax Standardization Act, which was passed in September 2020 and went into effect on Jan. 1. The act’s purpose is to streamline the process for taxing jurisdictions statewide and to make the process of obtaining a business license easier.

The act’s provisions included establishing a uniform 12-month license period statewide (May 1-April 30) and requiring a standard business license application form that could be used in all jurisdictions.

The city of Columbia, like all cities and towns statewide, had to update its business licensing ordinance to comply with the Act. Under the new ordinance, the city now uses just nine business codes for licenses, down from a previous 150. The business license renewal date also moved from April 1 to April 30.

Anyone with questions about the new ordinance or other issues related to business licenses can contact the city’s Business License Division at (803) 545-3345 or visit columbiasc.gov.