This was the closing phrase on the recent online petition on Change.org, by the Georgette Sand collective, grouping French consumers furious in having to pay sanitary protection (tampons, menstrual cups, towels...) at inflated prices. Whilst some everyday products, or basic necessities, benefit from advantageous taxes, tampons are taxed as high as some luxury products.
In France, VAT on basic products, such as books or condoms, is fixed at 5.5% to improve access to products considered to be necessities. But far from being essential, other items benefit from this reduced tax for other reasons. Amongst privileged products at 5.5%, we find truffles, foie gras, sodas, sales of works of art, fresh patisseries, ice cream and filled chocolate bites. However, sanitary protection is taxed at 20%, a difference which doesn't go unnoticed on the till receipt.
Since 2000, in the UK, the government taxes all sanitary products at 5% after years of taxation at 17.5%. However, "edible sugar flowers, alcoholic jellies and exotic meats including kangaroo and crocodile" are exempt from tax, notes the Change petition launched in the UK.
It is the same thing in Canada. Tampons and towels are treated as luxury produits. The Canadian petition includes a non-exhaustive list of tax-exempt products. We can find human sperm, wedding cakes and cocktail cherries. And to complete this rapid world tour of protests under the hashtag #tampontax, Australia has its own petition pointing the finger at this practice of taxing products that are necessary and essential for women. All these petitions will be sent to the respective governments, in the hope of a rapid change in VAT rates."
News in the same category
McDonalds has announced it is set to replace its plastic straws with environmentally friendly paper straws in all of its stores within the UK and Ireland.
Berlin has just welcomed the first luxury grocery store exclusively for cats and dogs, with ready meals, grilled meat and small cakes. Newly arrived in Germany, this concept is now being developed in the United States.
The brand, Bureo, was born from the wish to clean plastic waste from oceans, and more precisely fishing nets. By collecting them along Chilean beaches, the start-up transforms them into skateboards.
Less than 15 days ago after announcing they were removed, Asda is reinstalling previous food donation points in all its stores across the UK.
