A tampon tax is the term used to call attention to the fact that tampons--and other feminine hygiene products used to absorb menstrual flow--are subject to value-added tax, at odds with the tax exemption status granted to other products considered basic necessities. Proponents of tax exemption argue that tampons, sanitary napkins, and comparable products constitute basic, unavoidable necessities for women and thus should be made tax exempt. The tax in Canada was removed in mid-2015 and women protested in the United Kingdom later that year. Other countries later followed suit. The BBC estimates that women--half of the global population--need to use tampons or other feminine hygiene products to absorb menstrual flow for about a week each month for about 30 years. While sales tax policy varies across jurisdictions, these products were typically taxed at the same rate as non-essential goods, such as in the United States, while other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, reduced or eliminated their general consumption tax on sanitary products. The tampon tax is not a special tax levied directly on feminine hygiene products.
Proponents argue that tampons and other products serving the basic menstrual cycle should be classified alongside other unavoidable, tax exempt necessities, such as groceries and personal medical items. When asked about equivalent exemptions for men, proponents argue that no male products, condoms included, are comparable to tampons and sanitary napkins, since menstruation is biological and "feminine hygiene is not a choice". As the vast majority of consumers of feminine hygiene products are women, the increased cost has been criticized as being discriminatory against women.
Video Tampon tax
Tax law by jurisdiction
- Kenya was the first to abolish sales tax for menstrual products, becoming the first country in the world to do so.
- In Australia, sanitary products are taxed at 10% under a goods and services tax. The country's treasurer, Joe Hockey, asked for an exemption to be considered in a tax review. Australian states voted to keep the tax on sanitary products in August 2015.
- Canada removed its tampon tax in mid-2015 following an online petition signed by thousands.
- Ireland levies no value-added tax on tampons, panty liners, and sanitary towels. While other European Union countries are barred from creating zero-rated value added, Ireland's exemptions are grandfathered.
- Slovakia levies a 20% tax on sanitary products--the basic goods rate. A Slovakian film director commented that there are no plans to change the law and that east Europe missed elements of feminist change while living under communist government.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has levied a value-added tax on sanitary products since it joined the European Economic Community in 1973. This rate was reduced to 5% specifically for sanitary products in 2000 with lobbying from Member of Parliament Dawn Primarolo saying that this reduction was "about fairness, and doing what we can to lower the cost of a necessity." This is the lowest rate possible under the European Union's value added tax law, which as of 2015 does not allow zero rates. The UK Independence Party raised the issue in the 2015 general election with promises to withdraw from the European Union and allow the zero rate. Prime Minister David Cameron commented, when prompted, that the tampon tax campaign was "long-standing" and a complicated issue within the European Union.
Laura Coryton led a "Stop taxing periods, period" campaign with an online petition to have the European Union remove the value-added tax for sanitary products. George Osborne mentioned the petition by name in his 2015 Autumn Statement pledge to end the tampon tax at the European Union level. The petition platform's CEO cited the campaign as an example of successful clicktivism, with over 320,000 signatures. In March 2016, Parliament created legislation to eliminate the tampon VAT. It is expected to go into effect by April 2018, several British women protested publicly while displaying blood stains from their periods.
United States
In the United States, almost all states tax "tangible individual property" but exempt non-luxury "necessities": groceries, prescriptions, prosthetics, agriculture supplies, and sometimes clothes--the exemptions vary between states. Five states do not have a state sales tax (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon), and as of November 2017, nine states specifically exempted feminine hygiene products (Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania).
California Assembly member Cristina Garcia reported that California women each pay roughly US$7 per month over 40 years, constituting US$20 million in annual taxes. Garcia and Ling Ling Chang proposed a bill to remove the tampon tax in early 2016. At this period, only a handful of the country's states exempted tampons, and several others had no state sales tax. Garcia held that women were taxed "for being women" and bore an economic burden for having no other choice but to buy these products. Garcia and Chang added that the tax was "regulatory discrimination" that disproportionately affected poor women and women of color, and that it likely persisted due to social taboos against discussing menstruation. Both houses of the California State Legislature voted to exempt tampons from taxation in June 2016, but the bill was vetoed by the state's governor, Jerry Brown, three months later.
In July 2016, New York State exempted feminine hygiene products from taxation, reducing the state's tax revenue by an estimated US$10 million annually. Connecticut and Illinois also removed their tax in 2016, with Florida following suit in 2017.
Maps Tampon tax
See also
- Gender-based price discrimination in the United States
References
Source of article : Wikipedia
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