‘Tampon Tax Back Coalition’ Looks to Reimburse Customers for Taxes on Menstrual Products

Eight menstrual products makers have come together to help reimburse customers paying taxes on feminine hygiene products.

The Tampon Tax Back Coalition, made up of competing menstrual product brands August, Rael, Cora, Lola, The Honey Pot, Here We Flo, Saalt and DIVA, is promising to reimburse any tax paid on eligible tampons, menstrual pads and other period care products.

The coalition was formed as a response to tampons being classified and taxed as “non-essential goods” in 21 U.S. states. The average person who menstruates spends about $1,773 on period products in their lifetime, but advocates have long argued that a sizable chunk of that could be removed if sales taxes were dropped on menstrual products.

Several states have recently passed or enacted legislation that would get rid of the so-called tampon tax. In the past year, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado and Nebraska have all eliminated sales taxes on menstrual products, or those classified as “essential goods.” In June, Texas passed a bill to eliminate the tax on period products, which went into effect on Sept. 1.

“Really what we are trying to say is that [period products] should fall into the category of medical necessities,” Nadya Okamoto, founder of August, told CNN. “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, so they are taxed with a sales tax.”

How do the reimbursements work? Customers can text a photo to the coalition’s line of their receipts within ten days of purchasing products from any of the participating brands. The coalition will then calculate how much was paid in taxes, and will pay back that amount via Venmo or PayPal within 48 hours, the group said on its website.  

And those few extra dollars can go a long way, particularly for low-income people who menstruate. A 2021 study by non-profit group Period found that 14.2% of women had experienced period poverty in the past year, and an additional 10% experienced it every month.