Period Pants Tax
What is Period Pants Tax ?
‘Period Pants Tax' is all the revenue earned from the VAT charge applied to the sale of menstrual underwear which are taxed at 20%.
Periods are NOT a luxury, so why should you be charged 20% luxury tax (VAT) on every pair of period pants?
The Government removed VAT from some menstrual products like pads, tampons & cups, but period pants are still charged the full 20% VAT rate. We think this is wrong.
Ask your MP to help remove this tax and make sustainable period pants 20% cheaper.
Our pledge is to pass the savings on to our customers.
How to make Period Pants 20% cheaper:
- Sign the petition
- Email your MP: Template here
- Send us or tag us in a photo of their response
Ask your MP to sign Daisy's Early Day Motion to help remove this tax and make sustainable periods 20% cheaper. You can find your MP here.
Here is a template email to help you. Please copy and paste this email, also do make sure you write your full name and address. The MPs are more likely to response if you put your full name and address.
Please only email to your MP of your constituency.
Help us to spread the word!
Sign the petition created by Periodpants.org and share it among your friend and families.
The Story So Far...
We believe that sustainable periods are not a luxury.
The Government removed the luxury tax (VAT) from tampons and pads, but they did not include period pants. This unfairly penalises period pants - a sustainable period product option - and we think this is wrong.
VAT is a 20% tax placed on items considered a luxury. That's right, period pants are considered a luxury. Sustainable periods are not a luxury. It's time to remove the period pants tax.
By removing VAT from tampons and pads only, the Government is indirectly encouraging the purchase of disposable period products. This is irresponsible - our planet is overwhelmed by waste created by humans and we are in the midst of an environmental crisis. We should not be encouraging more waste.
Progress so far...
- At 10,000 signatures, The Government responded to our petition saying: “difficulties in policing the scope of the relief create(s) the potential for litigation, erosion of the tax base and a reduction in revenue”
- Following our petition, MP Daisy Cooper started an Early Day Motion and invited other MPs to sign, to ensure all period products are considered essential, and eco-friendly options are affordable for all.
Some facts about tampons & pads:
- Tampons, pads and panty liners and their packaging generate more than 200,000 tonnes of waste per year, and they all contain plastic.
- Disposable pads contain up to 90% plastic; the equivalent of four plastic bags.
- Plastic products can take up to a thousand years to decompose in landfill or in the ocean.
- Half of tampon-users in the UK flush tampons away. It has been estimated that 1.5-2 billion disposable period products are flushed down Britain’s toilets each year.
- It costs £88 million a year to unblock sewers blocked by menstrual products (combined with fats, oils, grease and food waste) in the UK.
- Harsh chemicals such as chlorine and dioxin are still found in mainstream brand pads and tampons. These are damaging for the environment and potentially for people’s health.
Statistics from the Women’s Environmental Network (WEN)