Timber

2025-2026 Bill 4594: Timber - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 4594
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Hixon, C. Mitchell, Pope, Oremus, Clyburn and Schuessler
Document Path: LC-0402SA26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the House
Summary: Timber
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/16/2025

House

Prefiled

12/16/2025

House

Referred to Committee on
Ways and Means

1/13/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 31
)

1/13/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Ways and Means
(
House Journal-page 31
)

1/21/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Schuessler

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/17/2025

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION
12-6-3830
SO AS TO ALLOW AN INCOME TAX CREDIT FOR A TIMBER CASUALTY LOSS IN A
FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTER AREA RESULTING FROM HURRICANE HELENE; AND BY
AMENDING SECTION
12-6-1140
, RELATING TO DEDUCTIONS FROM INDIVIDUAL TAXABLE
INCOME SO AS TO ALLOW A DEDUCTION FOR PAYMENTS RECEIVED FROM CERTAIN DISASTER
RELIEF AGENCIES RESULTING FROM HURRICANE HELENE.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
A
rticle 25, Chapter 6, Title 12 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:

S
ection
12-6-3830
.
(
A)
(
1) A taxpayer is allowed an income
tax credit in an amount equal to one hundred percent of the taxpayer's timber
casualty loss in a federally declared disaster area from Hurricane Helene which
struck in September 2024. The credit amount shall not exceed the number of the
taxpayer's affected acres of eligible timber property in the disaster areas
multiplied by five hundred fifty dollars. Any unused credit may be ca
rried forward for the next five tax years.

(
2)
Notwithstanding item (1), the maximum aggregate credit for all taxpayers in all
tax years may not exceed twenty-five million dollars. The credit is allowed on
a first-come, first-served basis.

(
B)
The department, in consultation with the State Forestry Commission, shall
establish an application process whereby a taxpayer may apply for the credit.
The application process must include a requirement for a certification by the
property owner and a registered forester that the timber casualty loss
qualifies. The department may not approve any credit that exceeds the maximum
aggregate amount set forth in subsection (A)(2).

(
C)
The State Forestry Commission shall establish criteria for determining whether
timber property is damaged or destroyed to qualify as a timber casualty loss
under this section. In establishing such criteria, the commission may consider,
but is not limited to, the following:

(
1)
the average damage sustained throughout the timber property;

(
2)
whether the timber property has adequate remaining trees per acre to maintain
viable timber property; and

(
3)
the risk of insect disease damage to the timber property as a result of the
disaster.

(
D)
The State Forestry Commission is authorized to conduct audits of timber
property for compliance with this section at the request of the Department of
Revenue.

S
ECTION 2.
S
ection
12-6-1140
of the S.C. Code is amended by
adding:

(
15) to the extent such income is
included in federal taxable income, payments received resulting from Hurricane
Helene which struck in September 2024, from a federal disaster relief,
assistance grant program administered by this State or political divisions
thereof, or the United States Department of Agriculture, if the payment or
grant was established to specifically address agricultural losses suffered in a
federally declared disaster area.

S
ECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor. This act is repealed on January 1, 2029, and does not apply to
tax year 2029 or thereafter, except that any credit carried forward pursuant to
Section
12-6-3830
, as added by this act, shall continue to be carried forward
until the applicable five tax years have expired..

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This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 2:42 PM