What is the pink tax on period products?
Asked by: Dr. Vivienne Hudson Jr. | Last update: September 24, 2025Score: 4.9/5 (3 votes)
What products are affected by the pink tax?
Some essential products used by both genders, such as razors, shampoo, and deodorant, are mostly subjected to the Pink Tax. Existing evidence indicates a 7% higher pricing of these personal care products for women compared to men.
How do I avoid the pink tax?
- Shop Around. Some businesses charge more for services, like dry cleaning women's clothing or haircuts, and some don't. ...
- Buy Men's Products. Often, the only difference between a pink and blue razor is the color. ...
- Order Online.
What is the pink tax pricing?
AB 1287, California's Pink Tax Law, codified at Civil Code section 51.14, prohibits charging different prices for goods that are substantially similar but are priced differently based on the gender of the product's target audience, with products marketed to women or girls typically having higher prices.
Is there a luxury tax on period products?
2019. California – In June 2019, California did not include a tax on period products in their two year budget. Two years later California passed AB 150 to make period products tax exempt permanently. Assembly members Cristina Garcia and Lorena Gonzalez worked for years get period products tax free in California.
CVS says it will pay the 'pink tax' on period products
What states banned the pink tax?
- Vermont, Maine, Michigan, Louisiana, and New Mexico passed legislation to exempt menstrual products in 2021.
- Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa, and Virginia banned the pink tax in 2022.
Does the pink tax include tampons?
So, the pink tax often refers to state sales tax on menstrual products, like tampons and feminine pads. Those feminine hygiene products are necessities for many women. But, many states tax feminine products as luxury items while exempting other necessities like groceries and medicine, from sales tax.
What is the highest pink tax?
Studies show that the pink tax or tampon tax on menstrual products can be as high as 13%. This disparity contributes to what is known as the tampon tax, where women are ending up having to pay thousands of dollars more over their lifetimes due to this discriminatory pricing practice.
Does the pink tax still exist?
New California 2023 Retail Law eliminates the 'Pink Tax' The bill ensures women achieve equality by prohibiting businesses from assigning different prices for identical products based on who they are marketed to.
What is an example of a pink tax?
Higher cost and smaller sizes of products like women's razors, shampoo and deodorant, relative to similar personal hygiene products designed for men. Higher prices of toys or equipment marketed to girls, like pink bikes, scooters and helmets, relative to identical red or blue bikes, scooters and helmets.
What brands are against the pink tax?
Razors have become an easy target of criticism, because they appear in stores on the same shelf, serve the same purpose, but have very different prices. Other brands like Tampax, Old Spice (and their female-targeted brand, Fiji), and Nivea are also negatively associated with the pink tax.
Why is women's deodorant more expensive?
“The prices charged for products targeted to men and women differ, but it seems to be driven by the fact that the products themselves are different.” In other words, while it's true that women's deodorants often cost more than ones targeted to men, the women's version likely has different ingredients.
What is blue tax?
Blue Tax is a company that specializes in tax help and preparation. Canoga Park, California, United States. www.BlueTax.com.
How to get rid of pink tax?
- Choose men's or gender-neutral products.
- Investigate the prices of services at different stores.
- Use a generic brand.
- Buy online and in-bulk.
- Compare the price per ounce of men's vs women's products to make sure you're getting your money's worth.
Are condoms taxed?
Actually, no! Each state chooses which items it will make tax exempt. Many of the same states that tax our period products have allowed tax exemptions on items like private jet parts, condoms, Viagra and chocolate bars.
How much more expensive is it to be a woman?
The Cost of the Pink Tax
In 2021, Parsehub repeated the research and found that women are now paying 50% more for unisex products and in some categories 60% more per 100g of product. Both studies reviewed data on thousands of products from Shoppers Drug Mart and Walmart Canada.
What is the pink tax on deodorant?
Starting January 1, 2023, a new law in California will prohibit higher prices for products marketed to a particular gender.
Which gender pays more taxes?
Unmarried women face a significantly lower average federal income tax rate than unmarried men, 6.3% versus 10.9%. Some of the difference arises because women have lower income on average and the tax system is progressive.
Who benefits from the pink tax?
When a company sells a pink product (the female version) for more than a blue product (the male version), the additional revenue from the pink product does not go to the government. The only beneficiaries of the "pink tax" are the companies that charge women more than men.
Why is period poverty an issue?
Period poverty undermines education of girls and young women
Girls and young women around the world are missing school days, because they lack the resources to adequately manage their menstrual health and hygiene.
What is gender based pricing?
Gender-based pricing is the practice of charging different prices for goods or services based on the consumer's gender. Differential treatment has been documented in services such as car purchases and repairs, mortgages, haircuts, and dry cleaning. Generally, women pay more than men for these services.
What states have no income tax?
The nine states that don't have an earned income tax are Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.
Is there a period tax at CVS?
We believe in period care access
We're paying the tax on period products* on behalf of our customers in Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia, and are working to help eliminate the tax nationwide.
Why should pink tax be abolished?
It incentivizes heavily gendered marketing from early ages. These messages reinforce gender based stereotypes that are harmful for all children and engrain bias early on. Identical products are often more expensive when marketed to women through features like packaging and color.