Group Offers to Repay Tax on Period Products

Keep your receipt when buying menstrual products as it could save you a bit of cash. Eight makers of period products have formed a coalition promising to repay the sales tax charged to customers in US states that don't consider such products essential. The Tampon Tax Back Coalition, made up of brands August, Cora, Lola, The Honey Pot, Rael, Here We Flo, Saalt, and DIVA, believes period products are essential and should be sold tax-free. "Twenty-one states still tax period products as 'non-essential goods,' meanwhile products like Rogaine and Viagra are considered medical necessities," the coalition says, per CBS News.

August, a brand launched in 2021 and now sold in more than 400 Target stores, earlier this year began offering to reimburse sales tax paid by consumers who submitted receipts to the company, co-founder Nadya Okamoto tells CNN. The coalition's move is an expansion of that idea. "Really what we are trying to say is that [period products] should fall into the category of medical necessities," Okamoto tells the outlet. "In a lot of the states where tampon tax is levied on period products, it is because specifically tampons and pads fall under the category of non essentials."

Those who purchase menstrual products from the brands can now submit proof of purchase to tampontaxback.com, with the sales tax refunded to a Venmo or PayPal account within 48 hours. "August is coordinating this on the backend through a dedicated pool of funds from each brand," Okamoto tells CNN. She adds her ultimate goal is to eliminate sales tax on period products in every US state. In 2014, "the tampon tax was in 40 states" so "it's not outside the realm of reality for us to expect that the tax in remaining 21 states to come down." Texas became the latest state to eliminate sales tax on period products with legislation that went into effect last month. (More menstruation stories.)