LONDON (AP) – Britain became the last country on Friday to abolish the so-called “tampon tax”, abolishing sales taxes on sanitary products for women.
The move has been widely praised by women’s rights advocates and supporters of the country’s departure from the European Union.
Treasury chief Rishi Sunak had pledged to end the widely unpopular tax on tampons and sanitary towels in his budget in March, but the change could not take effect until Friday after Britain finally left the European Union’s economic job.
Under EU law, countries cannot lower the rate of value added tax on menstrual products below 5% as they are considered luxury items and not essential. Ireland is the only EU country that does not levy a tax on sanitary products, as the zero tax rate was in place before the EU fixed its soil.
“Sanitary products are essential, so it’s a good thing we don’t charge VAT,” said Sunak. “We have already rolled out free sanitation products in schools, colleges and hospitals, and this commitment takes us one step closer to making these products available and affordable for all women.”
Britain has officially left the bloc’s massive internal market for people, goods and services on Thursdays at 11pm London time, giving it more room to enact its own laws. A new trade deal between the UK and the EU will bring new restrictions and red tape, but for British Brexit supporters, it means regaining the EU’s national independence and its rules. They pointed to the abolition of the tampon tax as an early positive change after Brexit.
The UK Treasury has previously estimated that the move will save the average woman nearly 40 pounds ($ 55) in her lifetime.
“It’s been a long way to get to this point, but finally the sexist tax that viewed sanitary products as non-essential luxuries can be turned over to the history books,” said Felicia Willow, head of the Fawcett Society, a women’s rights organization. charity.
Many other countries have also abolished the tampon tax, including Australia, Canada and India. In the United States, several states, including New York and Florida, have also dropped the tax.
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