SC SCH TC 30: Port Cargo Volume or Port Transportation Credit (Revision 2019-10)
South Carolina · South Carolina DOR · Used for tax years 2024, 2025, 2026
South Carolina Schedule TC-30 is used to claim a port cargo volume credit or port transportation credit against Income Tax. It reports the certified credit, credits carried forward, the amount usable in the current year, and any unused credit available to carry forward.
Who files this form
Use SC SCH TC-30 to claim a Council-certified port cargo volume credit or port transportation credit against Income Tax.
The credits are available to taxpayers at a South Carolina facility engaged in manufacturing, warehousing, freight forwarding, freight handling, goods processing, cross docking, transloading, wholesaling of goods, or distribution.
The port cargo volume credit is available to taxpayers who increase their port cargo volume at South Carolina facilities by at least 5% over their base year volume in a calendar year. The general minimum base year volume is 75 net tons of non-containerized cargo, 385 cubic meters, or 10 TEUs. The form also describes special award provisions for certain distribution and warehouse facilities.
The Coordinating Council for Economic Development determines the amount and type of credit. The Income Tax credit can be claimed against Corporate Income Tax or the tax on pass-through active trade or business income of individuals, trusts, and estates. Use WH1670, not this schedule, for a credit against Employee Withholding.
What you'll need
Have these items ready to complete the schedule:
- Your name and SSN or FEIN. Individual taxpayers must provide their SSN.
- The Council's certification showing the amount and type of credit available.
- Records of unused credits carried forward from previous years.
- Your current-year tax liability.
For a port cargo volume credit application, the Council requires a schedule showing how you determined the base year volume and the increase, the base year volume amount, credits used in prior years, and credits carried over. It must also show the volume increase as both a percentage and a total using the cargo measurements described in the form, with information showing an increase greater than the minimum required.
How to file
- Submit an application to the Coordinating Council for Economic Development. Apply for the port cargo volume credit after each calendar year in which the increase occurs. Apply for the port transportation credit after the calendar year for which you want the credit.
- Obtain the Council's certification stating the credit amount and whether it is for Income Tax or Withholding Tax.
- For an Income Tax credit, complete SC SCH TC-30. Enter the certified current-year credit on line 1 and prior-year carryforwards on line 2. Add them on line 3.
- Enter your current-year tax liability on line 4. On line 5, enter the smaller of lines 3 and 4. Subtract line 5 from line 3 to calculate the unused credit on line 6.
Include a copy of the Council's certification. If filing on paper, attach the schedule and certification to your tax return. If filing electronically, keep them with your tax records.
Use WH1670 to claim a credit against Withholding Tax. The text does not provide a mailing address.
Common mistakes
- Claiming both credits in the same tax year. You may not claim both a port cargo volume credit and a port transportation credit for the same tax year.
- Using the wrong form for Withholding Tax. SC SCH TC-30 is for Income Tax. Use WH1670 for Withholding Tax.
- Leaving out the certification. Include the Council's certification with a paper filing, or keep it with your records when filing electronically.
- Carrying Income Tax credits forward too long. Unused Income Tax credits may be carried forward for five years.
- Keeping the same base year volume indefinitely. Base year port cargo volume must be recalculated each calendar year after the initial base year.
Questions people ask
Who decides how much credit I receive?
The Coordinating Council for Economic Development determines the amount and type of credit and issues a certification.
How much Income Tax credit can I use this year?
Line 5 limits the amount to the smaller of your total available credit on line 3 or your current-year tax liability on line 4.
What happens if my Income Tax credit exceeds my tax liability?
You can carry the excess forward for five years to use against Income Tax.
What does TEU mean?
TEU means a 20-foot equivalent unit, a cargo-volume measure based on a container 20 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 8 feet, 6 inches high.
What transportation costs does the form describe?
Transportation costs are the costs of transporting freight, goods, and materials to and from port facilities in South Carolina.