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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO | LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN

LETTER FROM TIM WILKES, CHAIRMAN

I was a Certified Public Accountant for more than 25 years and have been a past member of the General Assembly for 12 years. I can tell you that until we formed The SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce in 2000, there was a desperate need for small business representation in the state government arena. The bountiful number of big business representatives had been driving the ship of state in spite of the fact that small businesses account for 80% of the state’s jobs and 80% of our tax base.

Until the establishment of the Small Business Chamber, the interests of small business were not considered by the General Assembly when new legislation affecting the general business community was being debated. A perfect example of how the interests of small business had being ignored was our state tax code. It required the average small business to pay an income tax rate that was 40% higher than most large corporations.  Rectifying this inequity was at the top of our agenda.  I am happy to say that we were successful in having legislation passed in the 2005 legislative session that will reduce the state income tax on a small business's profits for the next four years until it reaches 5%.

The small business community now has a way to stand up together. Even though our individual voices are small, collectively we have a huge voice. The SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce provides the opportunity for small business to assert itself.

Please join us today!

Sincerely,

Tim Wilkes
Chairman