This year, taxpayers can also fill in a box for another familiar cause: the "War Between States."

Is South Carolina raising money for a war fought 140 years ago?

Or did the state declare war on the North again and forget to tell anyone?

"I can see where it might be confusing to some people," joked Danny Brazell, a spokesman for the S.C. Department of Revenue. "Certainly, it's not rearming ourselves for the next engagement."

So federal tour guides at Fort Sumter can relax: The money isn't buying shells to lob on their heads.

Actually, the box is soliciting funds for the War Between the States Heritage Trust Fund, which is intended to provide money for preserving Civil War sites.

In past years, the box on income tax forms was labeled, reasonably enough, the "War Between States Heritage Trust Fund."

This year, the last three words were cut off to save space, potentially leaving taxpayers with the impression that they might be funding a new attempt to foil Northern aggression.

The fund is one of 10 that taxpayers can voluntarily choose to contribute to on this year's form. The rest all include the word "fund" in their descriptions.

Some professional tax preparers say the line caught their eye.

"I wondered about that," said Slann Simmons, who works at the Greg Smith Income Tax Service in West Ashley. According to Simmons, few are filling in the box.

Certainly, the fund might fall a little short of funding another attempt at secession.

Last year, roughly 2,100 people contributed a total of about $16,000, not counting late filers, according to the Department of Revenue.

There's no word on whether anyone paid with Confederate money.

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