South Carolina Senate OKs Tax Breaks for Fire Sprinkler Systems

Installing a new fire sprinkler system in a home or business could bring tax breaks worth about half their cost under a bill sent to the South Carolina Senate.

The legislation allows local governments to decide whether they’ll offer tax breaks of up to 25 percent of the fire sprinkler system’s cost. That money would be matched by state tax breaks.

The legislation is in response to a deadly furniture store fire in Charleston last year that killed nine firefighters. Authorities have said sprinklers would have at least delayed the spread of the fire.

The Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee also said Thursday that local governments and water systems can only charge their actual costs when they impose fees on those sprinkler systems.