Get ready for South Carolina tax-free weekend: What to know about dates, eligible items

It's almost that time of year again to shop until you drop.

South Carolina's annual tax-free weekend is coming up, and with it comes a selection of sweet deals. This year, the event is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 2 to Sunday, Aug. 4.

Last year, S.C. shoppers purchased over $30.4 million in tax-free items during the tax-free weekend, according to a news release from the SC Department of Revenue (SCDOR) .

"As inflation continues to drain many wallets, this year's Tax-Free Weekend offers some relief for weary families," SCDOR Director Hartley Powell said in a press release. “Every shopper saves money during this tax holiday, particularly on back-to-school essentials."

Here's what shoppers and retailers need to know about the 72-hour tax-free weekend and eligible items.

What items are eligible tax-free?

There are a variety of items that may be eligible for purchase without paying the state's 6% sales tax and any applicable local taxes. Some of these items include clothing, computers, school supplies, and other back to school essentials. Other eligible items listed by the SCDOR are bed and bath items, diapers, earbuds, headphones, printers, purses, and shoes. Items may be new or used and are eligible regardless of price. Shoppers may refer to Information Letter #24-7 on SCDOR's website for a more extensive list of exempt and non-exempt items.

What items are not exempt during the sales tax holiday?

Items that are not exempt from sales tax during the tax-free weekend are digital cameras, cosmetics, eyewear, furniture, jewelry, wallets, and watches.

What items count as school supplies?

SCDOR's list of eligible school supplies includes, but is not limited to, the following: backpacks, binders, books, calculators, lunchboxes, notebooks, paper, pens, and pencils.

What computer accessories are eligible?

The law lists a computer as an eligible item. However, it does not state computer supplies as eligible, such as a computer keyboard, monitor, or mouse sold separately. These items are only exempt if they are used for school assignments or if purchased in a package with the computer itself. Digital cameras, digital music players, and cellphones or smartphones are not exempt from the sales tax.

Does SC tax-free weekend apply online?

Eligible items may be purchased online and in-store.

What do I do if I was incorrectly charged sales tax on an exempt item?

Retailers who charge a sales tax on an exempt item are required to refund you for the tax paid on eligible items. If this occurs, you may refer the retailer to Revenue Ruling 19-4 .

When did tax-free weekend begin?

Tax-free weekend was created by the S.C. Legislature in 2000 and is outlined in SC Code Section 12-36-2120(57).

What should retailers know about tax-free weekend?

All retailers who sell eligible items participate in the tax-free weekend. This means retailers cannot collect sales tax from their customers on eligible purchases. Graphics, social media sample posts, and retailer-specific FAQs can be found through SCDOR's retailer toolkit . Sales of tax-free items should be reported and taken as a deduction on the August sales tax return due in September. To conveniently file and pay sales tax and manage all SC tax accounts, use online portal MyDORWAY .

Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Get ready for South Carolina tax-free weekend: What to know about dates, eligible items