COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina drivers will soon have to pay a little more at the pump but it's not because of the overall rise in gas prices.
The state's motor fuel user fee will increase by two cents a gallon starting July 1, according to the South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR). That puts the total for the state's gas fee from $0.26 to $0.28 a gallon.
This is the final fee increase by law and the $0.28 a gallon fee will now be permanent. The money collected from the fee goes to help construction and repairs of state roads and bridges.
The fee was approved by state lawmakers in 2017 as part of the South Carolina Infrastructure and Economic Development Reform Act. It was designed to have gradual increases, rather than a jump all at once, since the state's gas tax had not been increased in many years before that time.
Through March of 2022, $898.4 has been raised from the fee increase and put into a fund for the road and bridge work, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
People do have the option to file a claim for a credit on their South Carolina tax returns but they must save their receipts for gas purchases and vehicle maintenance work.
For more information about the Motor Fuel Income Tax Credit Review, visit dor.sc.gov/taxcredits or review Revenue Ruling 17-6.