The sales tax rate in ZIP code 29910 is 6 percent. That’s the South Carolina state rate with no local add-on, and it has applied in Bluffton and the rest of Beaufort County since March 1, 2025, when the previous 1 percent County Green Space Tax expired.1South Carolina Department of Revenue. Local Sales Tax Changes Coming March 1 in Three Counties Before then, the combined rate was 7 percent.
Multiply any taxable purchase by 0.06 to find the tax. A $100 subtotal adds $6. A $250 subtotal adds $15.
What the 6 Percent Applies To
South Carolina charges its 6 percent sales tax on most retail purchases of tangible goods: electronics, furniture, clothing, household supplies, building materials, and the like.2South Carolina Department of Revenue. Sales Tax A few common categories work differently.
Groceries
Unprepared food that qualifies for purchase with USDA food stamps is exempt from the state’s 6 percent sales tax.3South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 12 Chapter 36 – South Carolina Sales and Use Tax Act Because Beaufort County currently has no local sales tax, grocery purchases in 29910 carry no sales tax at all. Prepared foods, like restaurant meals and hot deli items, are still taxed.
Professional Services
Legal advice, accounting, medical care, and other licensed professional services are not subject to sales tax. If a professional also sells tangible goods, those sales are taxable. A veterinarian who sells pet medications at the office owes sales tax on the medication, even though the examination itself is untaxed.4Cornell Law Institute. South Carolina Code of Regulations 117-308.1 – Professional Services
Software and Digital Products
Prewritten software is treated as tangible personal property and taxed at the full 6 percent whether you buy it on a disc or download it. Many cloud-based software subscriptions fall into the same category because the state’s definition of tangible personal property reaches broadly. Streaming services and digital downloads may also be taxable depending on how the specific product is classified.
The $500 Cap on Vehicles and Boats
Big-ticket purchases do not use the 6 percent calculation. A flat maximum tax of $500 applies to each sale or lease of a motor vehicle, motorcycle, boat, recreational vehicle, aircraft, or self-propelled light construction equipment.5South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 12-36-2110 – Maximum Tax on Sale or Lease of Certain Items On a $40,000 car, 6 percent would be $2,400; the actual tax owed is $500.
The cap covers trailers pulled by truck tractors and horse trailers. It does not extend to house trailers, campers, or fire safety trailers. If you’re buying a boat, the motor counts toward the cap calculation.5South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 12-36-2110 – Maximum Tax on Sale or Lease of Certain Items
Lodging and Restaurant Meals Carry Extra Tax
29910 sits near Hilton Head Island, and visitors to Bluffton pay more than the base sales tax on short-term stays and meals out.
South Carolina imposes a 7 percent state accommodations tax on the gross proceeds from any rental of rooms or lodging furnished to transients. Another 5 percent applies to extra guest charges like room service, in-room movies, and meeting room rentals. Stays longer than 90 continuous days are not considered transient and are not subject to the accommodations tax. The tax also does not apply to properties with fewer than six sleeping rooms that serve as the owner’s primary residence.3South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 12 Chapter 36 – South Carolina Sales and Use Tax Act
Beaufort County adds a 3 percent local accommodations tax on tourist lodging and a 2 percent hospitality tax on prepared meals and beverages.6Beaufort County, South Carolina. Local Accommodations and Hospitality Tax Grants A visitor renting a Bluffton vacation home and eating out pays considerably more in combined taxes than a resident buying groceries.
Online and Out-of-State Purchases
When you buy something online or from an out-of-state seller that does not collect South Carolina sales tax, you owe use tax at the same 6 percent rate. Most large online retailers already collect South Carolina tax because the state’s economic nexus rule requires out-of-state sellers with more than $100,000 in annual South Carolina sales to register, collect, and remit.2South Carolina Department of Revenue. Sales Tax
Individual consumers report use tax on their South Carolina income tax return. On a $3,000 piece of furniture bought from an out-of-state seller that doesn’t charge the tax, you’d owe $180. The state enforces this most reliably on titled items like vehicles, where registration triggers a tax check.
South Carolina’s Tax-Free Weekend
Every August, South Carolina holds a 72-hour sales tax holiday. It starts at 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday of August and runs through Sunday. In 2026, that falls on August 7 through August 9.7South Carolina Department of Revenue. Tax Free Weekend
During the holiday, state and local sales taxes are waived on qualifying items:
- Clothing, footwear, and accessories
- School supplies, including backpacks, lunchboxes, and calculators
- Computers, printers, and software
- Bed and bath supplies
- Books, including those used for school assignments
Jewelry, cosmetics, furniture, cell phones, digital music players, and anything bought for business use remain taxable during the holiday. Layaway purchases that haven’t been picked up also don’t qualify.7South Carolina Department of Revenue. Tax Free Weekend
Why the Rate Could Change
The 6 percent rate reflects the expiration of Beaufort County’s 1 percent Green Space Tax on March 1, 2025. Beaufort County Council placed a replacement 1 percent transportation sales tax on the November 2024 ballot, and voters rejected it. No new local tax is currently scheduled.8South Carolina Department of Revenue. Sales and Use Tax Index
If a future referendum passes, the combined rate in 29910 would move back to 7 percent, and grocery purchases would pick up that local penny. State law carves unprepared food out of the state sales tax but not out of local sales taxes, so the local portion applies to groceries even when the state portion does not.9South Carolina Department of Revenue. Chapter 9 – Exemptions Watching local ballot measures is the simplest way to stay ahead of any rate change in 29910.