Brooke Simpson-More States Move to Eliminate 'Tampon Tax'

More States Move to Eliminate ‘Tampon Tax’

            No feminine hygiene products are tax free, even though there are many tax exempt items, many that seem to be less important than tampons.  There have been a few states that abolish the “tampon tax” because of gender discrimination.  There are a few states that don’t even have sales taxes, but there are still 36 states, plus DC, that have taxes on pads and tampons.  There are more states pushing to eliminate the tampon tax, but Texas isn’t one of them.  Big states are less likely to give up the tax because of all the money that they make off of the products.  There has been evidence of a “pink tax”, which is an upcharge on products aimed at women, studies found that personal care products can be 13% more expensive for women. 

            The article was written by Monica Castillo for the Washington Post on March 26, 2018.  Because the article was written by a woman, it could be bias because the tax affects women.  The article is important because it shows that some states are being more equal and less discriminatory, but the country as a whole still has a ways to go.  The article can be compared to women being forced to work in lower level jobs in the 1800s and 1900s when the men got to work in high level jobs and make more money.  Women were discriminated against because of being seen as less capable of intelligence, and now women are being discriminated against because of a natural body cycle.  Women shouldn’t be discriminated against for either of the reasons, even though the state is making more money or women are seen as “inferior” to men.