South Carolina Tax Free Weekend Returns August 7 to 9

South Carolina shoppers can skip the sales tax on school supplies, computers, clothing, footwear and other back-to-school essentials during the state’s annual Tax Free Weekend, which runs Friday, Aug. 7, through Sunday, Aug. 9.

During the three-day event, also known as the Sales Tax Holiday, South Carolina law allows shoppers to buy eligible items without paying the state or local sales tax. The exemption applies whether items are purchased in a store or online, and the South Carolina Department of Revenue said all retailers who sell eligible items are required to participate and cannot collect sales tax on those purchases.

The Department of Revenue sorts eligible items into four broad categories. School supplies used in the classroom or at home for assignments qualify, including musical instruments, calculators and headphones. Computers and technology such as printers and software are also exempt, though computer parts and accessories like monitors and keyboards are only tax-free when sold as a package with a computer.

The clothing and footwear category covers athletic uniforms, dance shoes, all types of coats and rainwear, and diapers. Certain bed and bath items also qualify, including sheets, pillows, bedspreads, towels and shower curtains. Items are eligible regardless of price and whether they are new or used.

Officials noted that the category lists are not all-inclusive. Shoppers can review Revenue Ruling No. 19-4 and Information Letter No. 26-16 for more detail on which items are exempt and which are not.

South Carolina taxpayers have marked Tax Free Weekend for more than two decades. The holiday was created by the state legislature in 2000. Last year, shoppers bought more than $25 million in tax-free items during the weekend, saving more than $1.5 million in sales tax.

Complete details, including full lists of eligible and non-eligible items, are available on the Department of Revenue’s Tax Free Weekend webpage at dor.sc.gov/taxfreeweekend.