Tampon Tax...

[ProfessorPreciseaBug]

It seems our masters in the EU have been ever so geneous and allowed the UK govenment to do away with taxing women for being female.

Of course Dave is trying to make out it is a sign of a reformed Europe. I rather think that someone has woken up and smelled the coffee and realised that taxing women is likely to persuade a lot of women to vote out. To me this just shows that we have fra too much interference from Brussles and that we really need to step aside.

Congratulations you win the left winger race to complain. When I heard this on the news I wondered how someone here would spin it so it was bad.

"Evil Tories and tampon tax"

Tampon tax abandoned after representations to Brussels

"Evil Tories and EU trying to get us not to leave"

I understood that they have been trying to get rid of all of it, were prevented from losing the last 5% by Europe but have now managed it. Am I wrong about this? Why is this a Tories = bad story?

Sorry, realise I have somewhat misread the first post

I'm dyed in the wool right wing and even I think it's a pathetic and patronising sop to get more 'stay' votes. It shouldn't have been in place, it should have been addressed years ago, in the general scheme of things regarding the EU it's nothing. But hey, a bit of money off tampons and the little laydees will be all for staying in.

AIBU to be rather miffed that just as enter the lovely perimenopause tax on sanitary protection gets scrapped?! I am taking this very personal….

While this is not earth-shattering news, I do think it's the right thing and well overdue. No idea what the Tories have to do with it though?
Do you really think this is going to change one single person's mind about how to vote about the EU?

Various male grooming items have always been tax free as seen as 'essential' (like medicines and children's clothes) whereas items that the vast majority of women will see as fairly essential have not been. So, yes, well overdue.

Unless you all want to joint the FreeFlow community?!

VAT is a consumption tax, and nothing whatsoever to do with being 'essential' (see the number of EU countries where it is levied on basic foodstuffs).

Also, this 'deal' is not remotely what it seems, and is (I think) only being talked about (and talked up?) because of the referendum. What has happened is that there have been some positive noises following the Tories living up to their earlier pledge and taking soundings on making a change. That means that at some point, probably but not definitely, in the next year it will be raised more formally. That may or may not lead to a deal.

Tigger,
I agree that in the scheme of the EU the actual tax is less than nothing.. Howeve the principle is far more than something. Indeed it is fundamental.

As part of Europe we are not allowed to set our own taxes to suit snd meet the wishes of our own people. It's not even likely that abolishing VAT would be give rise to tampon smuggling and a black market in illegal VAT free tampons... But no, Europe disctqtes and we must obey unless we can beg an opt out.

"Various male grooming items have always been tax free" which items are they, and which exemption is it?

In the past I've seen people claiming razors are not subject to VAT, and I have checked and can find no relevant exemption. I'll look again if you can specify which items you are thinking of.

Ach, I never get the nomenclature right re 'essentials', but do you think Dave has been dying for years to abolish the tampon tax and has been frustrated by European rules that have prevented that?

Love or loathe the EU, I agree that this has been talked up, but still cannot believe that that would sway anybody's vote, I really don't.

OK, fair enough, the rules on what gets what rate of VAT are bonkers - and razors are not on there

The only party which has been campaigning for years for abolition is UKIP.

Which

Oh gawd, I am in support of a UKIP agenda?

There is a perception that VAT is charged for non-essential products, but seems this isn't very logically carried out.
Nevertheless this seems a small pleasing victory/justice for women

Am i the only person here who thinks sanitary wear should be free? You can bet your last £1 if men had periods they would be.

Men Could Menstuate by Gloria Steinem

One small, belated change does not a reformed EU make.

Erm there has ALWAYS been Tax on tampons (and I'm talking BEFORE we joined the EU) So what the fuck it has to do with this govt. I don't know

The tax was always a bloody insult, and should never have been levied in the first place!

This is such an interesting campaign organised by Laura Coryton via Change.org. It raises the subject, one that we don't like to talk about, of menstruation in general. I had not known that tax was charged on sanitary products for women, and I assume that tax is also charged for mens razors which up until now they have felt under pressure to use every day. Razors are expensive. What I hope is that with tax now no longer levied on the product that the manufacturers of said products do not just charge the same amount and pocket the extra!! What's to stop them doing that?

What most people do not realise is that it is only relatively recently in the history of man's time on this planet that women have been able to put off child birth till it is convenient, that, women are menstruating as much as they are. In previous times what with childbirth, less rich diet, less copious amounts of food available and necessity to breastfeed, women did not actually have very many periods!!! Nowadays we can be bleeding for a good 20 years, 12 times a year before having a child and if using powdermilk we will bleed straight after pregnancy. All of these "periods" put a strain on our bodies, flooding it with hormones. What we need is a treatment that tricks our bodies into temporarily thinking we are in menopause (not pregnancy as with the pill) in order to give our bodies a break and to improve our health. We have all grown up thinking that monthly periods for years on end are "natural".. They are not! Do some research..

caradooley There is a book by Dr. Stephen T Chang called The Complete System of Self Healing and among many useful exercises there are some which help periods stop and start . They are very easy . Check out the book it's great and should be universally known.