War Declared Against New York State ‘Tampon Tax’

Ask any woman if they consider feminine hygiene products such as tampons to be a “luxury item” and then let me know what her reaction is. I’m guessing she’ll either laugh in your face or slap you.

New York Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal says that it makes no sense for New York to impose sales tax on tampons and other feminine hygiene products because medicine, bandages and condoms are tax-free.

I guess I hadn’t really paid much attention because I didn’t realize those things weren’t taxed. Did you?

Anyway, Assemblywoman Rosenthal says she’s recently introduced legislation that looks to end what she calls “a regressive tax on women and their bodies.”

New York isn’t the only state taking a look at the taxing on tampons. Several states, including California is considering ending the tax. And other countries have jumped on board as well- Canada exempted tampons from sales tax last year.

The states that either don’t have a sales tax or tax tampons are Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

President Obama had no idea that 40 states impose a tax on feminine hygiene products because of them being “luxury items” and says he suspects that they’re taxed that way because when those taxes were passed, men were the ones passing them. Watch what else he had to say.

Tired of being taxed on tampons? You can do something about it- make your voice heard by signing the petition here.

[NY Daily News/Newsday]