Sales tax in Aiken County, South Carolina
The sales tax rate in Aiken County, South Carolina is 8%. That is a 6% state rate plus a 2% county rate, and it is the same at every address in the county. That rate was read from South Carolina's own published schedule and checked on September 9, 2026.
What is the sales tax rate in Aiken County?
| South Carolina state rate | 6% |
|---|---|
| Aiken County rate | 2% |
| Combined rate | 8% |
How much sales tax is that on a purchase in Aiken County?
At 8%, a $100 purchase carries $8.00 in sales tax and a $1,000 purchase $80.00. That is general merchandise; South Carolina taxes some categories, often groceries, differently, as the note below explains.
Among South Carolina's 46 counties, Aiken County's rate ranks 4th highest, level with 24 other counties. See every South Carolina county.
Sales tax in counties next to Aiken County
Aiken County borders 7 counties, 2 of them in another state. The lowest rate next door is 7% in Burke County, GA, which is $10.00 less on a $1,000 purchase than Aiken County's rate.
| County | Combined sales tax |
|---|---|
| Richmond County, GA | 9% |
| Barnwell County, SC | 8% |
| Edgefield County, SC | 8% |
| Saluda County, SC | 8% |
| Aiken County, SC (this county) | 8% |
| Burke County, GA | 7% |
| Lexington County, SC | 7% |
| Orangeburg County, SC | 7% |
Why the rate here is not the whole story
South Carolina's state sales tax is 6 percent and Aiken County adds 2 percent in county-wide local sales taxes approved by referendum of the county's voters, made up of a 1 percent Capital Projects Tax and a 1 percent Education Capital Improvement Tax, for a combined 8 percent. South Carolina cities and towns cannot levy a general sales tax of their own, so the county is the only jurisdiction below the state that levies here and the 8 percent rate applies at every address in the county. Unprepared food that can be bought with USDA food coupons is exempt from the state 6 percent and from every local tax imposed in this county, so qualifying groceries are untaxed.
How do I find the exact rate for an address in Aiken County?
Use South Carolina's own address lookup.
Who has to collect sales tax in Aiken County?
Any seller with a physical presence in South Carolina collects at the rate for the address of the sale; a remote seller does once it passes South Carolina's economic nexus threshold. South Carolina sales tax covers the statewide rules and what is exempt.
Work out your own numbers
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Sales tax calculator
Tax on a specific purchase at this county's rate, and the total you will actually pay.
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Do you have to collect?
Whether your sales into South Carolina cross its economic nexus threshold. A different question from the rate.
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Property tax in Aiken County
The other local tax: effective rate and median bill for this county.
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Sales tax by county
Every US county, and how South Carolina compares with the rest of the country.
Sources
- Aiken County rates: South Carolina Department of Revenue, Form ST-500, South Carolina Local Tax Designation by County, effective May 1, 2026 (Rev. 3/9/2026), https://dor.sc.gov/sites/dor/files/forms/ST500.pdf, cross checked against Form ST-575, South Carolina Sales Tax Rate by Municipality (Rev. 2/5/26), https://dor.sc.gov/sites/dor/files/forms/ST575.pdf, and SC Information Letter #26-5, Local Sales and Use Tax Charts, effective March 1, 2026
- Collected and verified September 9, 2026. Confidence: P on the rate components, P on the range (P read on a primary agency page, S strong but indirect, U unverified).