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Britain became the latest country to abolish the so-called “tampon tax” on Friday, eliminating taxes on sales of women’s sanitary products.
The move was widely praised by defenders of women’s rights, as well as by supporters of the country’s exit from the European Union.
Treasury chief Rishi Sunak had pledged to end the widely unpopular tax on tampons and sanitary pads in his budget in March, but the change could only go into effect on Friday after Britain finally left the economic orbit of the European Union.
Under EU law, nations cannot lower the rate of value added tax on menstrual products below 5 percent, as they are considered luxury and non-essential items.
Ireland is the only EU country that does not charge a levy on medical devices, as its zero tax rate was in effect before the EU set its floor.
“Sanitary products are essential, so it is correct that we do not charge VAT,” Sunak said. “We have already implemented free health products in schools, universities and hospitals, and this commitment brings us one step closer to making them available and affordable for all women.”
Britain officially left the bloc’s vast single market for people, goods and services at 11pm GMT on Thursday, giving it more leeway to set its own laws. A new trade deal between the UK and the EU will bring new restrictions and red tape, but for British Brexiters, it means regaining national independence from the EU and its rules. They pointed to the abolition of the stamp tax as an early positive change from Brexit.
But Gemma Abbot of the campaign group Free Period said it was “misleading” for the UK government to say that Brexit was necessary to remove VAT on menstrual products.
“Actually, this was something that was at stake in the context of our relationship with the EU,” he told Euronews.
“David Cameron in 2016 had convinced his fellow EU leaders that changes were necessary to the European VAT system as a whole to allow for the zero rating of VAT products, and they all agreed on that, and In fact, the Commission made proposals in 2018 for a significant VAT reform.
“I think one of the main reasons we haven’t seen it implemented yet is because of the huge distraction from Brexit.”
Britain’s Treasury has previously estimated that the move will save the average woman nearly £ 40 (€ 45) over her lifetime.
“It’s been a long way to get to this point, but at last, the sexist tax that saw sanitary products classified as non-essential luxury items can be consigned to the history books,” said Felicia Willow, head of the Fawcett Society, a women’s rights organization. charity.
Many other countries have also removed the tax on tampons, including Australia, Canada, and India. In the United States, several states, including New York and Florida, have also eliminated the tax.
