Taxes in Aiken
South Carolina's real, current two-bracket income tax (Act 110, 1.99%/5.21% for tax year 2026) applies to Aiken residents same as anywhere else in the state, layered with an 8% combined sales tax and a property tax rate (~0.48% effective in Aiken County, below the SC statewide average) that varies meaningfully by specific municipality within the county.
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Learn moreSouth Carolina's real two-bracket income tax -- restated as place-level context
Act 110 (H.4216), signed March 30, 2026, restructured South Carolina's income tax into two brackets for tax year 2026: 1.99% on the first $30,000 of taxable income, 5.21% above that -- replacing the prior graduated 0%/3%/6% structure, with further revenue-triggered rate reductions beginning in 2027. This is genuinely distinct from both no-income-tax states (TX/TN/FL) and flat-rate states (CO/AZ) covered elsewhere in this dataset.
Social Security exemption and the real, coordinated senior deduction
Social Security is fully exempt from South Carolina state income tax regardless of age. Taxpayers 65+ get a further deduction against other income, but it is COORDINATED, not additive: capped at $15,000 per person ($30,000 for a couple both 65+), reduced by any other retirement-income deduction already claimed. Taxpayers under 65 can deduct up to $3,000 of qualifying retirement income.
Aiken's combined sales tax structure
Aiken's combined 2026 sales tax rate is 8%: South Carolina's 6% state rate plus a 2% special tax -- structured differently from Sumter's and Florence's 8% (which each break out a separate 1% county rate), though the total combined rate matches. Unprepared groceries are exempt from the 6% state rate.
Property tax: below the SC statewide average, but real, meaningful variance by municipality
Aiken County's effective property tax rate was cited at approximately 0.48%, below South Carolina's own statewide average of 0.51%-0.54%, with a cited median annual tax bill of just $639. But rates vary meaningfully by municipality within the county -- North Augusta cited lowest at 0.41%, Monetta cited highest at 1.39% -- confirm the specific rate for a target address rather than assuming the county average applies uniformly.
Key takeaways
- South Carolina's real two-bracket income tax (Act 110: 1.99%/5.21% for 2026) applies to all Aiken residents -- not a no-income-tax or flat-rate structure.
- Social Security is fully exempt regardless of age; the age-65 deduction is coordinated (not additive) with other retirement-income deductions, capped at $15,000 per person.
- Aiken's combined sales tax is 8% (6% state + 2% special tax); unprepared groceries are exempt from the state's 6% portion.
- Aiken County's effective property tax rate (~0.48%) sits below South Carolina's statewide average, but varies meaningfully by municipality (0.41% North Augusta to 1.39% Monetta) -- confirm the specific rate for a target address.
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