Great Britain abolishes "tampon tax"

Great Britain abolishes "tampon tax"

After leaving the EU internal market, the abolition of VAT on tampons and sanitary towels will come into force in Great Britain. With the end of the transition phase after Brexit, the UK is no longer obliged to levy a minimum tax of five percent on hygiene products, as provided for by EU law. "I am proud that today we are delivering on our promise to abolish the tampon tax," said Finance Minister Rishi Sunak. Hygiene products are "essential, so it is right not to levy VAT," Sunak said. By abolishing the so-called "tampon tax", the country wants to continue to fight period poverty. Many girls and women do not have enough money for hygiene products during their period and secretly use newspaper, old cloths, socks and toilet paper. Fearing that a mishap might happen, some skip school.

"It has been a long way"

Felicia Willow, executive director of the Fawcett Society, a women's rights society, welcomed the change: "It has been a long way, but the gender tax that has led sanitary products to be classified as luxurious, non-essential items can finally come in the history books are banned. " The Treasury Department estimates that removing VAT on toiletries would save a woman about £ 40 over the course of her life. Tampons and sanitary towels have been distributed in public schools and universities in England for a year now. Scotland had gone a step further in November by making hygiene products freely available for women. It was the first country in the world to vote for such a step. In Belgium the "tampon tax" was abolished in 2018. In Germany, VAT on menstrual products was reduced from 19 to 7 percent at the beginning of 2020.