SUMTER AND BEAUFORT COUNTIES’ SALES TAX RATES TO CHANGE MAY 1

What you need to know:

Beginning May 1, 2023, Beaufort County will implement a 1% County Green Space local tax, the first in the state.
As a result, the Sales Tax rate in Beaufort County will increase from 6% to 7%.
In Sumter County, the Sales Tax will decrease on May 1 from 8% to 7% after its Capital Projects Sales Tax ends.

The Sales & Use Tax rate will change May 1, 2023, in both Beaufort and Sumter counties.

Beaufort County adds County Green Space local tax
Beaufort County taxpayers will begin paying a new 1% County Green Space local tax following voters' approval last fall. The addition of this new tax increases the Sales & Use Tax rate in Beaufort County from the statewide 6% Sales Tax rate to 7%.

Beaufort County is the first in the state to implement this tax, which was created in 2022.

According to Beaufort County, the Green Space program will preserve open spaces for the purposes of protecting natural resources and providing land for recreation. It also allows the county to purchase land to protect it from development.

The tax will last two years or until $100 million has been collected.

Sumter County's Capital Projects local tax is ending
In Sumter County, the 1% Capital Projects Sales Tax will end after April 30. That means the Sales & Use Tax rate in Sumter County will be reduced from 8% to 7%. This includes the 6% state Sales Tax and a 1% Local Option Sales Tax.

The current Capital Projects Sales Tax began after voters approved a renewal of the initial Sales Tax referendum, which ran for seven years, in 2014. The goal of the tax was to raise $75 million for 28 new community projects in the categories of public safety, infrastructure and facilities, transportation, and quality of life.

Need more information?
For complete details about the Sales Tax rate changes in Beaufort and Sumter counties, see SC Information Letter #23-4.

For retailers
The SCDOR's free online tax portal, MyDORWAY, is the fastest, easiest way for retailers to file returns and make payments to the SCDOR.

Beaufort and Sumter County's new Sales Tax rates and all local tax changes are automatically updated when you file your Sales Tax return using MyDORWAY, to help ensure your return is accurate. Plus, automatic checkpoints help you avoid submitting an incomplete return.

If you have two or more locations, consider our Consolidated Sales Tax Return, which allows you to file for all of your locations at the same time.

SCBOS can help businesses know their Sales Tax obligations
South Carolina Business One Stop (SCBOS) is our state's one-stop resource to help business owners get squared away with their tax and licensing obligations, including Sales Tax. For more information on any of the topics mentioned above, connect with SCBOS on Twitter and Facebook or visit scbos.sc.gov.

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