Tool shows what sales tax referendum could mean for your tax bill
Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election began Monday, Oct. 19. Georgetown County voters will be asked whether to adopt a 1% Local Option Sales Tax, and a new online calculator can show residents how the tax could affect their property tax bills.
The Tax Relief Estimator, at georgetowndecides.org, asks residents to choose a property type (primary home, second home or rental, commercial property, or personal vehicle), their tax district and the appraised value shown on their tax notice. It then estimates the property tax credit the sales tax would provide. Residents who don’t know their tax district can use the site’s map or “Locate Me” feature to find it.
For example, on an owner-occupied home, the calculator estimates the credit at about $229 a year for each $100,000 of appraised value in unincorporated parts of the county, about $257 in the Town of Andrews and about $314 in the City of Georgetown. For an owner-occupied home in unincorporated parts of the county, that works out to roughly a 22.6% reduction in the property tax bill. These are estimates only. Each year the County Auditor would set the actual credit based on how much tax is collected and on countywide property values.
How the tax would work
The Local Option Sales Tax would add 1 cent to every dollar spent on items that are already subject to South Carolina’s 6% sales tax. Items exempt from the state tax would be exempt from this one too, including unprepared food such as groceries, prescription medications and gasoline.
County officials conservatively estimate the tax would generate about $12 million a year. A separate 1% sales tax that voters approved in 2024 brought in $18 million in its first year.
Under state law, 71% of the money collected must go back to property owners as credits on their tax bills. The credit applies to primary homes, second homes, vehicles, boats and other taxable property. Each municipality and the county would get its share of the remaining 29% to support government operations. Because the tax is collected at the register, visitors and people passing through the county pay it too.
“Everyone pays this tax. It’s not just residents of Georgetown County,” said Assistant County Administrator Brandon Ellis, who has led public information sessions on the referendum since late summer. “It’s visitors who come here on vacation. It’s folks who are just passing through from Charleston to Myrtle Beach and stop at a convenience store or a restaurant. They’re all contributing to that tax revenue as well.”
Renters can benefit too. Anyone who owns a vehicle would see a credit on their vehicle tax bill.
The tax would have no expiration date. If voters approve it, it would stay in place unless County Council put the question back on the ballot and voters chose to repeal it. Thirty-two of South Carolina’s 46 counties have a Local Option Sales Tax. So far, no county has ever voted to repeal it.
Get your questions answered
Georgetown County does not advocate for or against the referendum. The goal of the county’s information campaign is to help voters understand the question before they cast a ballot.
“We want folks to understand exactly what this is instead of forming their own assumptions,” Ellis said. “Voters decide which way they want to vote. We’re there to provide information on how it works, how the revenue is generated, where the revenue is going to go and how that property tax relief would work, so they can make the most informed decision.”
Ellis’ next and last scheduled in-person Local Option Sales Tax presentation is Monday, Oct. 26 at 5:30 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center, located at 2222-C Highmarket Street. A virtual workshop is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Oct. 29. The meeting link and more information, are available at georgetowndecides.org.
How and where to vote
Early voting runs through Saturday, Oct. 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Sunday. Voters can go to any of these locations:
- Andrews Recreation Center, 220 S. Cedar Ave., Andrews
- Choppee Recreation Center, 8259 Choppee Road, Georgetown
- Waccamaw Recreation Center, 83 Duncan Ave., Pawleys Island
- Georgetown County Voter Registration and Elections Office, 303 N. Hazard St., Georgetown
Voters who would rather vote absentee by mail must request a ballot by Oct. 23. On Election Day, Nov. 3, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must bring a photo ID. Accepted forms are a South Carolina driver’s license, a South Carolina DMV ID card, a federal military ID, a U.S. passport, or a South Carolina voter registration card with a photo. To see a sample ballot or get more information, visit gtcountysc.gov/vote or call Georgetown County Voter Registration and Elections at 843-545-3339.
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