By Adriana Suarez
Why are menstrual hygiene products taxed?
Why are they even being sold instead of being provided free?
Menstruation is not a choice. Menstruation products are in fact a necessity for ALL women.
As a female, I have never had a choice about if I wanted my period. When the time came, I had to be ready for the time of the month to come every single month for the rest of my life. There is nothing I can naturally do to prevent this from happening.
As of July 2019, “menstrual products are subject to sales taxes in 35 states” (As reported by Karen Zraick). Many founders of supporting organizations, including LOLA and Period Equity, support the cause of eliminating the ‘tampon tax.’ According to The New York Times, Canada, Malaysia, India, and Australia have “nixed” the tax. So that raises the question, why hasn’t the United States eliminated the tax as well?
What many states have in question is affordability. Can they afford to eliminate the sales tax? In California alone, the expense of eliminating the tax would be $76 million per year. Other states, like Georgia “allocated funds to provide free menstrual products in schools and community centers in low-income areas” (Zraick).
This debate has caused a Tampon Tax Protest. Any woman can participate in 4 easy steps, as follows.
- Buy the product and save your receipt.
- Claim for a refund under the grounds of being unconstitutional.
- Mail form and receipt to state’s Department of Revenue.
- Post about the Tampon Tax Protest through spreading the word.
More information can also be found on the Tax Free. Period. website.