Shoppers in Texas no longer have to pay a sales tax on menstrual products, making the state one of the few in the nation to eliminate the so-called “tampon tax.”
A new law that went into effect Friday eliminates the sales tax on feminine hygiene products including items like tampons, menstrual pads and menstrual cups.
In addition to menstrual products, the law, S.B. 379, also eliminates the sales tax on family care items including diapers, baby bottles, baby wipes, maternity clothing and breast milk pump products.
This is great - but is the “tampon tax” just “normal sales tax”?
Yep. But other medical products have been exempt the whole time.
Yes.
Yeah, but it sounds more like a special imposition placed on women for being women if we talk about the “tampon tax” instead of arguing about whether or not there should be special cutouts on sales tax for products used primarily or exclusively by women.
There are places with “luxury taxes” on some of those items
Usually only in places where that luxury tax rate is actually lower than the general sales tax. If you have a contrary example, I’m curious.
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/08/europe/tampon-tax-germany-luxury-item-grm-intl/