UK to scrap tampon tax

As part of the UK’s 2020 Budget announced Wednesday 11th March by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the tampon tax will be scrapped.

The tampon tax is the term given to the VAT placed on women’s sanitary products since as a part of EU laws, they are classed as luxury, rather than essential goods. In the House of Commons Sunak said; “I can also now confirm now that we have left the EU, that I will abolish the tampon tax.” The ruling will come into effect from January 2021.

Although many women’s groups have long campaigned for it to be removed, EU law states that no less than a 5% levy must be applied to the products. It is estimated that the average woman spends almost £40 in her life just on the tampon tax. Since 2015, the government have paid the tampon tax into a tampon tax fund which is then given to women’s charities as a solution until the tax could be scrapped.

One of the loudest voices in the fight against tampon tax, is 20 year old British Asian activist Amika George, founder of the Free Periods campaign which aims to end period poverty in the UK. In her efforts, she has started petitions to the government which have gained hundreds of thousands of signatures, organised protests featuring celebrity speakers and written articles for Vogue, The Guardian and The Telegraph.

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-Z5eSejP2-/

She is now campaigning to ensure that the Department for Education’s free period products scheme continues to run during the coronavirus lockdown by making the free period products that are usually available to girls in schools to be made available, in a safe and appropriate way, to all who may struggle to access them at home.