How much do you pay in taxes eating out in Myrtle Beach area? We use burgers to find out

Emalyn Muzzy
·2 min read
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Depending on where you go out to eat in Horry County, you could be paying a lot more because of city and county food taxes.

To get an idea of how sales tax may vary across the Myrtle Beach area, The Sun News looked at the cost of a quarter pounder with cheese meal from McDonald’s at locations in Horry County, Myrtle Beach, Conway and North Myrtle Beach. The meal comes with a quarter pounder with cheese, a medium fry and a medium drink.

Looking at these purchases, Myrtle Beach has the highest tax on prepared food in the area, resulting in almost $1 to $2 more for a purchase in some instances based on a tax rate of 11.5%. Prepared food includes food that is served at a restaurant.

Receipts for the same McDonald’s meal at two different locations, one in Myrtle Beach (right) and one in unincorporated Horry County (left). Notice the differences in tax
Receipts for the same McDonald’s meal at two different locations, one in Myrtle Beach (right) and one in unincorporated Horry County (left). Notice the differences in tax

The 11% is broken down as 5% state sales tax, 1% state tax relief, 1% local education capital improvements sales tax, 1% RIDE 3 fee, 2.5% local county hospitality fees and 1% tourism development fee, according to Myrtle Beach.

In Horry County, which includes Conway and North Myrtle Beach, the sales tax on prepared food is 10.5%. Horry County breaks this down as 6% state sales tax, 1% capital projects sales tax, 1% education capital improvements and a 2.5% local county hospitality fee, according to Mikayla Moskov, Horry County director of public information.

A quarter pounder with cheese meal costs $9.19 at several local McDonald’s locations. In Myrtle Beach, the added on tax is $1.06, while in unincorporated Horry County it is 97 cents. This leads to the meal being 9 cents cheaper in Horry County.

Although this price difference is less than a dime, the 1% difference can become significant when eating at an expensive restaurant or when dining with a group. A $150 restaurant bill’s taxes would be $1.50 more if ordered in Myrtle Beach.

In addition, many businesses also charge a fee anywhere from 3% to higher for processing a diner’s credit card.

Prices for the meal itself can also vary at different dining locations. For example, in Garden City in Horry County, the meal costs $9.99 while the same exact meal costs $9.19 in Myrtle Beach.