Some York Co. grocery shoppers paid too much in tax

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — If you bought groceries in York County earlier this year, you might have paid too much in tax.

The Pennies for Progress tax raises money for roads in York County. It used to add a penny tax per dollar for unprepared food like cereal, soda and soup bought at the grocery store.

As of Jan. 1, that was supposed to expire, but grocery stores kept charging it.

For frequent shoppers, that can add up.

A Department of Revenue spokeswoman said they did not inform grocery stores of the change until late March. But they say it's now up to retailers to make it right with their customers.

A Harris Teeter spokesperson said the chain wasn't made aware of the change in York County until April 24.  They posted a sign telling customers they can get a $5 voucher.

“They sent me a note saying they had overcharged me from the start of year,” Renee Downy said. “They did make up for it and gave me a $5 coupon.”

Lowes Foods said if you used your loyalty card, they can track what you spend and give you a refund in the store.

Jason Oleska said it's the right thing to do.

“They made a mistake,” he said. “Let’s try to fix it and give back to people hurt by this.”

WSOC