What do we want? A zero tax rate for sanitary products. When do we want it? Now.
Let’s consider some of the existing tax free ‘essential’ products: helicopters, alcoholic jellies, edible cake decorations, pitta bread and kangaroo meat. Sanitary products should join this list, no question.
So what's the PM getting at? David Cameron argues that the EU makes the rules, which makes things tricky. During the election campaign he said ‘I wish we could get rid of this… There’s a problem with getting rid of VAT on certain individual issues because of the way this tax is regulated and set in Europe.’
It had been predicted David Cameron was facing the prospect of a Commons defeat over the tampon tax this week but it didn’t come to pass. The MPs rejected the Finance Bill amendment yesterday, which would have forced a negotiation on the tax.
A significant number of anti–EU Tories were expected to vote with the opposition parties (because they think it exemplifies the fact the EU has too much influence over us) and demand a reassessment of the current 5% VAT on sanitary products. However, not enough votes were cast in favour (the amendment was rejected by 305 to 287 votes). This means the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, will not have to present his strategy for ending the VAT on sanitary items.
There’s a shred of good news for us to focus on though: David Gauke, the financial secretary to the Treasury, said: ‘This debate illustrates there is very considerable cross-party support for the UK to abolish VAT on sanitary products.
‘To that end… I will raise this issue with the European Commission and other member states setting out our views that it should be possible for member states to apply a zero-rate to sanitary products.’
A change.org petition to stop taxing periods, established by Laura Coryton, has over 250,000 supporters to date.
In Croyton’s words: ‘Periods are no luxury. You can ‘opt-in’ to extravagance. You cannot choose to menstruate. Despite this, a whole heap of disadvantages have been created for those who do. Not using sanitary products can lead to health risks, jeopardise maintaining a normal, professional or personal life, and result in public ridicule. Equally, by using sanitary products, our Government capitalises on misogynist discourse and period shame that has caused us to fear our own menstrual cycles. It’s a double-edged sword that cuts women on both sides.’
***Words by Georgia Simmonds. ***