Schools in West Columbia will be opening soon for the 2024-2025 school year. Students will need supplies, and those supplies will be a little more affordable this weekend.

Tax-Free Weekend Details

Tax-Free Weekend is a 72-hour event held each August. It begins at 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday in August and continues through that Sunday. This year, it starts on Friday, August 2, and ends on Sunday, August 4.

During the annual Tax-Free Weekend (also known as the Sales Tax Holiday), a variety of purchases are exempt from the state’s 6% sales tax and any applicable local taxes. Many items traditionally associated with back-to-school are exempted, including:

• Clothing, accessories, and shoes
• School supplies, backpacks, and computers
• Printers, software, and accessories
• Musical instruments used in the classroom or at home for school assignments

The tax-exempt status applies to both in-store and online shopping. However, some items, such as dorm refrigerators, bicycles, tissues, hand sanitizer, storage containers, cameras, cell phones, jewelry, and furniture, are not tax-free.

West Columbia Mayor Tem Mies said: “We have three daughters in school, so my wife and I look forward to Tax-Free Weekend every year. The tax exemption is a good motivator to stock up on items our children will use all year. We’ll certainly be doing lots of shopping this weekend. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the money they will save at our West Columbia businesses that sell anything exempt from sales tax.”

WeCo School Supply Retailers Participating

• Family Dollar
• Walmart
• Dollar General
• Big Lots

Clothing and other shops that will also carry tax-free items:

• Preserve & Co. – 731 Meeting Street
• White Orchid Boutique – Georgetown Shopping Center
• Stone Boot Company – 807 Meeting Street
• Cato’s – Westside Shopping Center
• Shoe Show – Westside Shopping Center

History of Tax-Free Weekend

The Sales Tax Holiday in South Carolina was established in 2000. In past years, up to $4 million in taxes have been saved for shoppers during the weekend, according to the SC Department of Revenue. There are no price restrictions for the tax holiday; the tax exemption applies to all eligible items, no matter how expensive.

FREE School Supply Event

If you need assistance providing your child(ren) with the items they’ll need for the school year and are a City of West Columbia resident, there’s help. Bring your student to visit with the West Columbia Police Department and Turner Memorial AME Church at the West Columbia Community Center, 754 B Avenue, West Columbia, on Saturday, August 3, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., for a snack and free supplies for children who need them.

So get out and take advantage of the savings on the 2024 Tax-Free Weekend!