Axe the VAT on ALL Menstrual Hygiene Products!

[SoupDragon]

I've just received this link from ModiBodi and thought inappropriate for Mumsnet. I don't usually link to petitions!

www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-axe-the-vat-on-all-menstrual-hygiene-products

Bump

It doesn't need petitioning for.

We cannot axe anything from VAT without EU agreement (it's not a UK tax, we're already at the lowest permitted level and the proceeds are being donated on a windfall basis to publicly nominated women's charities).

It'll be gone as soon as the Brexit transition is over - already announced as one of the earliest actions (Sunak said in March that he'll abolish it in Jan 21)

Scaevola I think the point is that the chancellor is only planning to abolish VAT on tampons and sanitary towels. This petition has been set up by a manufacturer of period pants who want to be included in the change.

This petition has been set up by a manufacturer of period pants who want to be included in the change.

Exactly.

I think that's fair. If disposable menstrual hygiene products won't attract VAT, then re-usable also shouldn't. Re-usable everything should be encouraged, not penalised. I don't really like that the petition was started by a company selling them, but I agree with the principle.

the proceeds are being donated on a windfall basis to publicly nominated women's charities

Unfortunately that was the original proposal (the money was supposed to go to DV shelters and Rape Crisis) but beneficiaries have included Life.

metro.co.uk/2017/04/05/heres-how-tampon-tax-money-is-actually-spent-6553739/

You can see from the application that it cannot be spent on existing services (bottom of page 2)
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/668464/Tampon_Tax_Fund_2018-19_-_Guidance_for_Applicants_v.3.pdf

So even though this petition is by a manufacturer, they wont directly benefit, and I think we need to keep campaigning for better use of the meny and an end to the tax.

After all, it breaches equality law since it is a disadvantage to women. Men are not subject to any equivalent tax on products such as shaving gear to fund DV shelters or Rape Crisis.

The beneficiaries were nominated by public consultation.

There was a thread on MN about itn at the time, where IIRC the majority view was that the continuation of the tax was so wrong in itself that it was also wrong to engage in the decision making process to decide the windfall beneficiaries.

Others did not share that view, took a more pragmatic approach and nominated. The government chose from them in the first rounds. Later ones have been by straight application, and have included charities which are not women only, but where the project predominantly or solely benefits women (eg MIND has benefited)

Men are not subject to any equivalent tax on products such as shaving gear

This is persistent myth. Shaving gear is not exempt.

This is persistent myth. Shaving gear is not exempt.

It's also not limited to men.