Here's how an Iowa bill changes sales tax on feminine hygiene products

2022-06-10 23:55:51 By : Ms. winnie sun

The Iowa Legislature unanimously approved a sweeping tax bill during the 2022 legislative session. Included in the bill is the elimination of the so-called tampon tax. Gov. Kim Reynolds hasn't signed the bill yet, but if she does, the change would go into effect Jan. 1, 2023.

Here's what that means for Iowans.

Tampon tax refers to the sales tax on feminine hygiene products. In some states, tampons and other menstrual cycle-related products are not considered essential, so they are subject to sales tax. Health items that are currently deemed essential and are exempt from taxes in Iowa include prescription drugs, glasses and contact lenses, and prosthetic devices, from artificial limbs to artificial breasts.

Advocates say the tampon tax is discriminatory toward women.

"To me, the tax on this product that only people who have periods use is unfair because it unfairly picks one sex over another to levy a tax," I Support the Girls volunteer Clare Pfeiffer told USA Today.

According to Senate File 2367, which will eliminate that tax in Iowa, feminine hygiene products include tampons, pantyliners, menstrual cups and sanitary napkins.

The bill also eliminates sales tax on diapers for both children and adults.

More:Editorial: 2022 Iowa legislative session served up 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'

While the tampon tax is an actual law, "pink tax" is a term that refers to “a form of gender-based discrimination named for marketing the color pink toward women,” according to Global Citizen.

In Business Insider's examination of the pink tax, it found that one brand's deodorant marketed toward women was listed at about $6, while the men's version was listed at $5.

More:Iowa Legislature adjourns session marked by major tax cuts and roadblocks on education

According to period equity group Period Law, 26 states, including Iowa, still had a tax on period products as of February 2022.