it’s almost festival season in south carolina... information for vendors & event hosts Planninig your next event or festival? We appreciate the hard work that goes into planning for events and festivals. To help you get ready for your next event, we’ve compiled the guidelines from South Carolina Department of Revenue for vendors, promoters and hosts.
Retail License A Retail License is required of every person who sells tangible personal property at retail in South Carolina. If your business has multiple locations, you will need a Retail License for each location of your business.
Special Event vs. Retail Event South Carolina law divides festivals and events into these two categories. To know if you will need a Retail License, you must first determine if you are making sales at a Special Event or a Retail Event.
You will need a Retail License if:
Special Events A Special Event is a promotional show, trade show, fair, festival, or carnival where an admissions fee is required for the public to enter the event. A Retail License is required if the event lasts for more than 11 consecutive days. Please note, this is separate from an ABL Special Events License. Vendors making sales in South Carolina MORE THAN ONCE in a 24-month period (in the 12 months prior to the event or in the 12 months following the event) must have a valid South Carolina Retail License. Vendors making sales at a Special Event in South Carolina ONLY ONCE in a 24-month period do not need a Retail License, but do need to complete and submit the Special Event Return (FC-1) AND Special Event Affidavit (FS-152). Retail Events A Retail Event is a promotional show, trade show, fair, festival, or carnival where an admissions fee is not required for the public to enter the event. If you are operating at a retail event, you must have a valid South Carolina Retail License.
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you are making sales in South Carolina MORE THAN ONCE in a 24-month period (not in the 12 months prior to the event or in the 12 months following the event) at a special event. you are making sales at a retail event. you have an online business with no physical storefront. you make retail sales at only one festival per year. You may indicate that you will be a seasonal filer for a specific month of the year. you sell taxable services.
You do not need a Retail License if you are only handing out promotional items and will NOT be making retail sales. Admissions Tax License Admissions Tax must be collected by all places of amusement when an admission fee has been charged. • • • •
The tax is 5% of the paid admissions. If you operate a place of amusement, you must obtain an Admissions Tax License. There is no charge for the Admissions Tax license. You may also be required to obtain a Retail License.
Every person subject to the tax is required to complete and file an Admissions Tax Return. The quickest, preferred way to apply for both of these licenses is through myDORWAY.dor.sc.gov.
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Hurricane Season is Here: How Prepared is Your Business? From flood waters, property damage, power loss and spoiled food, coping with the aftermath of a powerful storm could be very troublesome for restaurant owners. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that about 40% of small businesses will unfortunately never reopen after a disaster. Therefore, during the Atlantic Hurricane season, which officially runs from June through November, hospitality owners and managers must take a multi-pronged approach to safety. First, crisis communications, management and business continuity planning and then back up efforts with the proper insurance coverage. While restaurants, hotels and other businesses in the hospitality industry have no control over the weather, taking the proper steps before a hurricane can lessen the impact. Generally speaking, the three main goals of any disaster management plan are to manage the business during the crisis, resume normal operations as quickly as possible, and recover losses when it is over. By taking these goals into account when surveying the most critical areas of the business, companies can determine what steps they need to take to be fully prepared for hurricane season and beyond. Having a crisis communications, management and business continuity plan in place will help ensure employee stability in the workplace. Pre-determined employee notification channels will be critical to disseminating information should the need arise. Business owners and managers should have employee contact information at their fingertips, while also establishing a toll-free hotline number or social media site that can facilitate communication during a storm.
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Similarly, understanding individual risk is key to necessary business continuity planning. Try isolating the business risk first. Is it wind, power outage or hurricane damage? Will your business be down for a week, a day or a month? Review your business assets and make sure the operations that are most critical have built-in redundancy or are covered by insurance. heartland.us/restaurant
August 2022 • SCRLA.org
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