Selaine Saxby MP signed an open letter to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to abolish the tax on multiuse sanitary products in July 2023. The campaign started by Marks & Spencer aims for the Government to remove VAT from period pants with the campaign making its way to Downing Street on Tuesday 24th October.
Under the current VAT rules, period pants which are a reusable period product are still classified as garments and are subject to a tax rate of 20 per cent. However, period pants are a more sustainable alternative to period products and have the power to reduce plastic pollution and waste.
If the Government removes the VAT and reclassified it as period pants as period products, it would make it more affordable, reducing three pack of period pants from £20 to £16, a saving of £4. The removal of VAT would also level the playing field for consumers who want to use more sustainable period products and make period pants more accessible to people.
Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon said:
“I am glad that in 2021, the Government removed the ‘Tampon Tax’ from women’s sanitary products. However, a 20% VAT still applies to period pants which I believe is unacceptable which is why I have signed an open letter calling for the removal of VAT on period pants to level the playing field on period products.
I support M&S’s campaign because it is just not right in my mind that women trying to reduce their impact on the environment pay tax on their more environmentally friendly period products.
I would like to say a huge thank you to M&S for championing ‘Say Pants To The Tax’ and it was great to take this campaign to Downing Street. I do hope it will be included in the Autumn Statement because whatever period product someone chooses to use, it should be VAT free.”
Laura Charles, Lingerie Director at M&S, who delivered the letter, said:
“Yesterday, on Downing Street, M&S came together with an incredible cohort of women to hand-deliver a letter that has had overwhelming support from a breadth of politicians, retailers, charities, and business leaders asking for the Government to level the playing field on period products.
“Just one month away from the Autumn Statement and we’re not throwing in the towel - we urge the Chancellor to do the right thing and make this official legislation. It’s a tiny percentage of the Government’s budget but a change that will make a big difference to women’s budgets across the country.”
Binky Felstead said:
“I’m so proud to be involved in supporting a cause that would make such a big difference to so many women. It was an honour to join Laura, Tracey, Selaine, Alison and Janet yesterday and I really hope the Chancellor delivers some good news next month.”
The letter amassed more than 70 signatories including – the UK’s top five knicker retailers, M&S Primark, George at Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, charities including Freedom4Girls, Bloody Good Period, A Plastic Planet and MPs and peers across all parties also signed the letter.
The delivery of the letter comes ahead of the Autumn Statement on the 22nd November and is the culmination of Say Pants to the Tax - a campaign that M&S and period pants brand, WUKA launched in August and is backed by a parliamentary petition that accumulated more than 36,000 signatures.
