PREPARING FOR AN EMERGENCY
South Carolinians know that an emergency can happen at any time, sometimes without warning. While you can’t always know when a disaster will occur, you can be ready for the challenges you’ll face by preparing ahead of time. We're here to help you prepare for emergencies with a few tips to ensure you can recover your important information, account for your valuables, and reopen your business as soon as possible.
Prepare ahead of time
| Take some time to prepare now, so that you’re as ready as possible when an emergency happens. Disasters can happen without warning. Even in the case of hurricanes, which develop relatively slowly, there may not be enough time to take all of the necessary steps if you wait until a storm is in the forecast.
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Use paperless recordkeeping
| Electronic records can be a valuable resource if a disaster destroys your physical records or makes them inaccessible.
- Scan your paper tax records and bank statements, and securely store electronic versions.
- Keep electronic copies of tax records, bank statements, W2s, home-closing statements, and insurance records.
- Consider keeping backup copies on an external storage device, like a flash drive or hard drive. Store these duplicates in a safe place, like a waterproof container at a trusted relative's home or in a safe deposit box.
- Make it a habit to file and store important documents (and their duplicates) promptly.
- Back up your computer often.
- Treat your digital files with the same level of security as your physical ones. Store digital files on a private server, and use passwords to protect your documents.
Don't choose your safe storage spot only out of convenience – if a disaster strikes your home or business, it will likely affect the surrounding area.
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File online
| Filing your tax returns electronically is faster and more
accurate – and it ensures that your returns are protected from a natural disaster.
- South Carolina businesses can file their returns using our free tax portal, MyDORWAY, at MyDORWAY.dor.sc.gov.
- Individuals can find a list of free and low-cost Individual Income Tax online filing options at dor.sc.gov/iit-filing.
Store passwords and information needed to access such returns in a safe place, like a secure password manager.
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Keep a visual record of your property
| Should the worst occur, taking photos or videos of your home or business’ contents before a disaster can help support any claim of loss on a tax return or with insurance.
- Take photos and videos of each room from multiple angles.
- Create a ledger of your possessions, along with their value.
- Store the photos or videos in a safe place, like a secure cloud storage service.
Don't choose your safe storage spot only out of convenience – if a disaster strikes your home or business, it will likely affect the surrounding area. |
Check on fiduciary bonds
| The IRS recommends that businesses that use payroll service providers ask if their provider has a fiduciary bond in place. This bond can protect the business if the provider defaults. |
Keep your emergency plans updated
| Create detailed emergency plans now, communicate them to your family and employees, and update the plans regularly. - Decide where to seek shelter from all types of disasters.
- Prepare an emergency supply kit.
- Identify evacuation routes from your home and business.
- Establish how you’ll communicate with employees, customers, and others after an emergency happens.
- Create a plan for accessing your important records after the emergency is over.
- Drill the plan ahead of time, when no disaster is imminent.
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WE'RE HERE TO HELP
When an emergency does occur, we're here to help you get your life back to normal.
- For up-to-date information on office closings and tax relief, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
- We also update this webpage, dor.sc.gov/disasterrelief, when tax relief is available.
- Click here to learn about tax relief that the IRS offers in disaster situations.
- If you need copies of prior year South Carolina tax returns, complete an SC4506 or send a written request to: SCDOR, Request for Copies, PO Box 125, Columbia, SC 29214-0890.
- The IRS Disaster Resource Guide provides information to individuals and businesses affected by a federally declared disaster and the assistance available to disaster victims.
- The South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) is the primary division of state government responsible for coordinating preparation, response, and recovery efforts for major disasters in South Carolina. The SCEMD website is a valuable resource to help you develop an emergency plan and find assistance after a disaster.