VAT on sanitary items

[nailak]

I have vaguely heard a debate about this, can someone explain this issue to me please?

i would like to know what the equivalent is that caters for men, and they dont have to pay VAT,

sorry if i sound clueless, it is because i am. but i want to learn

But what would the VAT be on gambling? Is it a good or service? It's already subject to gambling duties

Gambling is VAT exempt because it is taxed under separate arrangements.

Link to useful reference list.

Sorry about tactless claire rayner comments. I didn't know

Surely the answer is to utilise jaffa cakes as sanitary protection, thus taking a gamble on efficacy while avoiding all tax.

There have always been people raising the fact that vat on sanitary protection is snoffair.

I don't recall ever having heard a reasonable answer as to why it is not exempt.

i didn't think you were tactless at all, don't sweat it Sardine

as for jaffa-pads? best thing to do with them vile pretenders they are.

cake or biscuit?

Is there VAT on condoms?

Where's the service element though? As pointed out, it's subject to gambling duties anyway

condom vat dropped to 5% a few years back

according to hmrc vat on sanpro is charged at reduced rate

What is this 5% level for?

Things that everyone knows should not have extra tax but they don't want to give up the revenue?

Oh I have got the wrong end of the stick

I thought we were up in arms about it being 17.5% (20% at the mo)

It seems I am about 10 years behind the times

We are up in arms about it being 5%

It's one thing that has always annoyed. Sanitary protection is a luxury item therefore we have to pay VAT. Well done for starting a thread about it.

It seems a bit weasley to reduce it but not get rid of it entirely.

Although personally I don't use sanitary protection or condoms.

So if they had no VAT the tax would come from something else, something that I do buy.

So this technically is good for me.

It's still wrong though.

so whats the feminist position? that if men had periods it wouldnt be taxable?

Trills it's more that if they accept it should be VAT they'd have to repay us all the VAT we'd paid to date I expect.

Oh sorry, if they accept they should be VAT exempt

I never understood it. It seems a little unfair. However, I am pleased to hear that we are not being charged 20%

I doubt anyone has receipts for X years worth of tampons.

I don't think the position needs to be "if this were men.." it is simply "this is not a luxury and should not be taxed as one".

Use washables, I haven't bought any sanpro for years and years, almost seems an odd notion tbh.

VAT is an EU tax and the UK Govt can't ask for anymore VAT exempt products (known as supplies) because the other EU states get flouncy because they don't have as many as the UK does.

Anymore tax questions?

Changes to taxes are not retrospective: future purchases will be at the new rate, but past ones at the old ones will not be adjusted (how would you like it if the increases were retroactive!)

And it's an EU harmonised system. UK can alter its rates (to some extent) but cannot do much about what falls within the system (IIRC there are some national variations, but they are slight and historic).

I'm not too bothered about it bring taxed at 5% as its the same rate we pay on energy and that's pretty essential.

Changes to tax Rates and rules aren't retrospective but admission that HMRC misclassified something for VAT purposes are, there was a similar situation re golf clubs a number of years ago.

I don't think sanpro is misclassified -I don't like the way it has been rated, but I don't think there has been an error of that type.