The New York state senate is poised to eliminate New Yorkers’ so-called “tampon tax.” Feminine hygiene products are currently taxed as “luxury items” in New York, but a new bill could result in their reclassification as tax-exempt necessities, instead. The Republican-run senate passed the bill unanimously on Monday (April 11) after it had passed the state assembly in March, also with full …
More than 40 years since the passage of Roe v. Wade, United States politics are still fraught with arguments over the sovereignty of women’s bodies and decisions that make the upkeep of women’s reproductive health all the more expensive and difficult. The year is 2016, and although it may be hard to face reality, there lies a lamentable truth: The accessibility of women’s healthcare is not a …
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.
Is your job listing sexist? Five New York women are fighting to halt the state’s “Tampon Tax.” Margo Seibert, Jennifer Moore, Catherine O’Neil, Natalie Brasington, and Taja-Nia Henderson, filed a lawsuit Thursday against New York’s tax department and its commissioner, Jerry Boone.
“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.