Starting Wednesday, consumers will have the opportunity to recoup state sales tax paid on menstrual products when purchasing certain period care items.
The Tampon Tax Back Coalition is a collaboration between eight period care brands including August, Cora, LOLA, The Honey Pot, Rael, Here We Flo, Saalt, and DIVA. These brands will reimburse consumers for the taxes paid on eligible products sold by any of the participating brands.
The primary objective of the coalition is to combat the “tampon tax,” which refers to the state sales tax levied on menstrual products such as tampons, pads, and menstrual cups in over a dozen U.S. states. While many states exempt essential items like food and medications from sales tax, they often exclude period care products due to their classification as nonessential goods in existing tax codes.
Nadya Okamoto, co-founder of August, a period care brand focusing on inclusivity and providing products for all menstruators, explained the importance of changing public opinion and pressuring legislators to address this issue: “We’ve made some progress, but there’s still quite a bit of ways to go.”
According to data from the Alliance for Period Supplies, twenty-one states in the U.S. tax menstrual items at standard rates, treating them as nonessential products subject to the same tax rate as any other nonessential item purchased locally.
Period Law, a group that recruits volunteer attorneys to advance legislation promoting period equity, estimates that consumers collectively pay around $80 million annually in menstrual product taxes.
The Tampon Tax Back Coalition initially started as an initiative by August in May and has since expanded to include seven additional brands. The coalition’s focus is on prioritizing the customer and simplifying the reimbursement process.
Okamoto emphasized the unnecessary burden placed on customers: “A customer shouldn’t have to navigate the complexities of reclaiming the ‘tampon tax’ if they buy tampons from one brand and pads from another.”
Nadya Okamoto, founder and executive director of Period, speaking during the 2019 Makers Conference in Dana Point, California, U.S., on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019.
Bloomberg | Getty Images
Rael CEO Yanghee Paik praised the coalition as a significant step towards recognizing period care products as essential for addressing basic medical needs.
Paik also highlighted the lack of awareness surrounding this issue, stating that “not many people really have the awareness of this issue in the country.” She characterized the tax as regressive and outdated.
The Honey Pot CEO Beatrice Dixon acknowledged her own ignorance about the tampon tax until she started her own period care brand: “Before that, I didn’t even know that I as a consumer was even paying that.”
Dixon described joining the coalition as an obvious choice.
To request reimbursement, customers can visit the coalition’s website and submit a claim within 10 days of purchase for eligible items sold by any of the eight participating brands. The coalition ensures fast refunds through Venmo or PayPal, usually within 24 hours of submission.
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