The 2021 Tax Free Weekend, presented by the S.C. Department of Revenue, begins Friday (Aug. 6) and ends Sunday (Aug. 8.)

During the tax-free weekend, many items that are traditionally associated with back-to-school are exempted from South Carolina’s 6% sales tax. Any applicable local taxes are exempted, too. School supply retailers in West Columbia, including Family Dollar, Walmart, Dollar General, and Big Lots will welcome lots of shoppers this weekend.

Click here for a link to Tax-Free Information from the SC Department of Revenue

Clothes, computers, and school supplies are on the list of items that can be bought with no sales tax. 

Other school supplies not taxed include printers, software, and accessories. Musical instruments used in the classroom or at home for school assignments are exempt from sales tax, too. The tax-exempt status applies to online and in-store shopping.

Suzanne Perry has a daughter in Gray Collegiate Academy in West Columbia.
“We look forward to the tax-free weekend every year,” she said. “If you need to buy a computer, this is the time to do it. There is considerable saving on some of the software, too. We bought a really nice printer for school work two years ago and saved almost $100 just on that one item.

The Sales Tax Holiday in South Carolina was established in 2000. In past years, shoppers have been exempted up-to $3 million in taxes during the weekend, according to the S.C. Department of Revenue.
There are no price restrictions for the tax holiday. The tax exemption applies to all eligible items no matter how expensive they are.

Tax-free school supplies do not include items such as dorm refrigerators, bicycles, tissues, hand sanitizer, and storage containers since they are not used for school assignments. Also not tax-free are: cameras; cell phones; jewelry; and furniture.
Another event that has become popular before school starts are bookbag giveaways.

A Back-To-School event featuring free bookbags and school supplies is scheduled for 10 a.m until 1 p.m., Saturday (Aug. 7) at Rosamunda Percell-Butler Park, at 1100 Raleigh St. West Columbia. There will be hot dogs, chips and drinks.

The school-supply giveaway is sponsored by the West Columbia Police Department, Pressley’s Funeral Home, Turner Memorial AME Church and West Columbia City Councilman Mickey Pringle, a former school principal.  

School buses will be back on the streets soon and this weekend is a chance to prepare students for a return to the classroom. So get out and take advantage of what is offered in West Columbia.