Listen, if we were given a choice, most of us would probably opt out of getting our periods for the majority of our lives. It can be painful, messy, and last but not least, expensive. Women spend upwards of $70 a year on products like tampons and pads.
Among women, the tampon tax hasn’t been very popular, to say the least. So today, five women in New York filed a class action lawsuit to fight the much-maligned tax.
The complaint argues that sales tax for tampons and sanitary pads violates state law, which declares that medical items shouldn’t be taxed. According to the complaint, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance “imposes a double standard when defining medical items for women and men,” since medical items also used by men — like Rogaine, foot powder, dandruff shampoo, ChapStick, facial wash, adult diapers, and incontinence pads — are tax-free. Tampons and pads, on the other hand, are exclusively used by women.
“It’s about equity and access. There’s no other tax that’s this gender bias[ed],” said California Assemblywoman Christina Garcia.Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Imageshide caption
“It’s about equity and access. There’s no other tax that’s this gender bias[ed],” said California Assemblywoman Christina Garcia.