(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Delinquent taxes" mean state taxes including penalty, interest, and costs for which a warrant for distraint has been issued and filed by the department.

(2) "Department" means the South Carolina Department of Revenue.

(3) "Payment owed by the State" means amounts for which the Comptroller General is responsible for payment and which result from goods or services rendered or to be rendered to the State or its agencies or political subdivisions.

(4) "Collecting agency" means the Comptroller General.

(B) The department may collect delinquent taxes by means of a setoff procedure as provided in this section.

(C) The department shall provide to the Comptroller General the names, social security numbers, or federal employer identification numbers, or other identifying information considered necessary by the Comptroller General to determine whether a payment owed by the State to a taxpayer is a payment due a taxpayer owing delinquent taxes.

(D) Based solely on the information furnished by the department, the Comptroller General shall determine if a payment owed by the State is payable to a taxpayer owing delinquent taxes and on this determination he shall remit the payment to the department. The department shall promptly notify the delinquent taxpayer of the payment. Remitting of the payment to the department terminates the Comptroller General's responsibilities under this section, except as otherwise provided by law. The department's notice to the taxpayer must:

(1) be in writing;

(2) specify the amount paid to the department;

(3) state the total amount the department determines to be due from the taxpayer;

(4) specify the name, address, and telephone number of an employee of the department whom the taxpayer can contact to discuss the delinquent tax liability.

(E) Reviews of setoffs are with the department and information furnished by the department to the Comptroller General is considered correct and reliable for use by the Comptroller General in applying the setoff procedure.

HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 69, Section 1; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 239.