Sales tax in Charleston County, South Carolina
The sales tax rate in Charleston County, South Carolina is 9%. That is a 6% state rate plus a 3% 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 Charleston County?
| South Carolina state rate | 6% |
|---|---|
| Charleston County rate | 3% |
| Combined rate | 9% |
How much sales tax is that on a purchase in Charleston County?
At 9%, a $100 purchase carries $9.00 in sales tax and a $1,000 purchase $90.00. That is general merchandise; South Carolina taxes some categories, often groceries, differently, as the note below explains.
Charleston County's rate is the highest in South Carolina, shared with 2 other counties. See every South Carolina county.
Sales tax in counties next to Charleston County
Charleston County borders 4 counties. The lowest rate next door is 7% in Dorchester County, SC, which is $20.00 less on a $1,000 purchase than Charleston County's rate.
| County | Combined sales tax |
|---|---|
| Berkeley County, SC | 9% |
| Charleston County, SC (this county) | 9% |
| Colleton County, SC | 8% |
| Dorchester County, SC | 7% |
| Georgetown County, SC | 7% |
Why the rate here is not the whole story
South Carolina's state sales tax is 6 percent and Charleston County adds 3 percent in county-wide local sales taxes approved by referendum of the county's voters, made up of a 1 percent Local Option Sales and Use Tax, two Transportation Taxes of 0.5 percent each and a 1 percent Education Capital Improvement Tax, for a combined 9 percent. South Carolina cities and towns cannot levy a general sales tax except for a 1 percent Tourism Development Fee, open only to a municipality in a county whose state accommodations tax revenue reaches 14 million dollars in a fiscal year, and no municipality in the county imposes one, so the 9 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, but the county's Transportation and Local Option taxes still apply to it, so qualifying groceries are taxed at 2 percent.
How do I find the exact rate for an address in Charleston County?
Use South Carolina's own address lookup.
Who has to collect sales tax in Charleston 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 Charleston 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
- Charleston 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).