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Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.3868 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:19990407 Primary Sponsor:D. Smith All Sponsors:D. Smith Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\ggs\22227mm99.doc Residing Body:House Current Committee:Ways and Means Committee 30 HWM Subject:Property taxes, annual audit of entity authorized to levy; Taxation, County, Political Subdivisions History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 19990407 Introduced, read first time, 30 HWM referred to Committee Versions of This Bill
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 4-9-156 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR AN ANNUAL AUDIT OF AN ENTITY AUTHORIZED TO LEVY PROPERTY TAXES, TO ESTABLISH STANDARDS FOR THE AUDIT, TO PROVIDE FOR JOINT AUDITS, AND TO REQUIRE PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE AUDIT REPORT.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 4-9-156. (A) Each county, political subdivision, and other entity authorized by law to levy property taxes must provide for an independent annual audit of its records and transactions to ensure compliance with applicable state and local laws. The audit report must include a section specifically reporting on compliance with laws dealing with reimbursements from the State, to include reimbursements pursuant to Sections 12-37-250, 12-37-251, and 12-37-935. The annual audit of the offices of the county must include the assessor, auditor, treasurer, and delinquent tax collector, and must be conducted in accordance with the standards of the United States General Accounting Office as published in 'Government Auditing Standards'. The Comptroller General shall publish manuals and guides citing necessary items, entries, transactions, and other areas to be audited. Each audit must be completed within six months of the year's end. A copy of the compliance audit of each entity audited must be provided by the accountant to the Department of Revenue, the Comptroller General of this State, and the State Superintendent of Education within thirty days of completion.
(B) Counties, political subdivisions, and other taxing entities may contract for this audit jointly. This audit also may be performed in conjunction with the audit required pursuant to Section 4-9-150.
(C) This audit must be conducted by a certified public accountant who has no personal interest in the fiscal affairs of the entity being audited or of any of its officers. The audit report must be made available for public inspection."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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