Gov. Henry McMaster completed the state’s submission of recommended Opportunity Zone census tracts to the U.S. Treasury following a public input process led by the Department of Commerce.
Gov. Henry McMaster announced Tuesday that South Carolina has completed its submission of recommended Opportunity Zone census tracts to the U.S. Department of Treasury, according to the Office of the Governor.
The South Carolina Department of Commerce led a statewide process to collect input from local governments, economic development organizations, community leaders and the public before the nominations were submitted, according to the Office of the Governor.
McMaster submitted the state’s Opportunity Zone nominations to Treasury on September 23, 2026, the office said. The move follows changes to the federal Opportunity Zone program under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law on July 4, 2025.
“South Carolina has seen the value of Opportunity Zones in bringing investment and new opportunities to communities across our state,” McMaster said. “With the program now permanent, we can build on what has worked, focus on the communities with the greatest opportunities for investment, and continue strengthening South Carolina’s position for future economic development.”
The federal law made the Opportunity Zone program permanent and set up a new redesignation process that will occur every 10 years, according to the Office of the Governor. Governors may nominate up to 25% of a state’s eligible census tracts, and the submission window opened July 1, 2026.
Treasury will review South Carolina’s nominations before the new zones take effect January 1, 2027, according to the Office of the Governor. A list of the state’s nominated tracts is available on the Department of Commerce’s Opportunity Zone webpage.
McMaster is also urging the General Assembly to update South Carolina’s tax code to align with the new federal Opportunity Zone provisions, according to the Office of the Governor.
Based on a release from Office of the Governor.
