Yes, the state of Indiana has a Tampon Tax
Tampons or food. It is a choice some Hoosier women face, due to what is known as "the tampon tax." DYK: Tampons aren’t a luxury item, though they are taxed like one? In fact, Indiana provides tax exemptions on items that are considered essential such as food, medical devices, and prescriptions {which ironically includes nonessential medications for men like Propecia and Viagra}, yet feminine products are conspicuously off the list.
Hoosier women aren’t alone, 34 states nationwide have a tampon tax, placing a financial burden exclusively on women. The average woman spends $120 per year on pads and tampons, nearly $2,000 throughout their lifetime. At the Indiana sales tax rate of 7%, that’s $140 over our lifetime, or more than a year’s supply of tampons spent in taxes.
The tampon tax - while targeted toward women - most negatively impacts women of color and single mothers, who according to studies are more likely to be low-income in the state of Indiana.
Carey Hamilton
In recent years, states have been speaking out with legislators against the tampon tax, arguing feminine hygiene products are a necessity for 50% of the population and not - as some states have categorized them - a luxury item. Recently reelected {congrats!} Indiana State Representative Carey Hamilton is leading the charge for Hoosiers. “Many states have already done this, and it is certainly time for Indiana to do this as well,” Carey says. “It is about having a fair and equitable tax structure. It is one thing we can do to make our tax system more equitable for Hoosiers, and women, and working families.”Carey began working on this bill soon after being elected in 2016, when a constituent brought it to her attention. Indiana House Bill 1226 was filed in January 2020, but it did not move to a vote on the House floor in 2020, so that specific bill is dead. However, an identical or similar bill could be refiled in 2021. The process to eliminate the tampon tax in Indiana would mean the bill would first go through the Ways & Means Committee in the State House of Representatives, then to the House Floor for a vote. If it passes, it would move to a committee review in the State Senate and to the Senate Floor for a vote before landing on the Governor’s desk for approval.
Opponents of the bill argue by eliminating the tax, income to the state is also eliminated. Carey explained it can be hard to move a bill that, on the surface, only seems to benefit women when the majority of Indiana legislators of male. “In the legislature, women are still very much a minority,” said Carey, who is a member of the first majority female caucus in Indiana {there are currently 27 women out of 100 State House Representatives, 14 Democrats and 13 Republican} “We have to be at the table to do things that help us.”Carey is hopeful she can refile the bill in 2021, build bipartisan support, and see it through to fruition in the next several years. “I think it is both a small impact on the pocketbooks of low-income women, but also it is a message to Indiana women that they are important and their health is important,” she explained. “To get through a stand-alone piece of legislation that only helps women, is very important and a big step forward for women in dialogue, and the overall equity in our state policy.”
SPEAKING OF TAMPONS, LET'S TALK PERIOD POVERTY:: The menstrual equality movement
State lawmakers hope legislation around the tampon tax will pave the way for future discussions around inequitable taxation and policy such as taxation on diapers, paid family leave, childcare tax credit, and even an initiative presented by Governor Holcomb for workplace protections for pregnant employees {sadly this bill has not yet passed with Senate Republicans arguing it did not offer enough employer protections}.
What can we do to further the conversation?
Write to our State lawmakers in both the House and Senate, letting them know this is an issue that affects all Hoosier women and our menstrual health is not a luxury. Carey explained personal communication from constituents is very impactful for lawmakers, and even if a bill is not currently on the floor, they remember And don’t forget to ask the men in your life to write too. While it might appear on the surface that bills like this are only impactful for women, a friendly reminder: this benefits any parents of menstruating teens, heterosexual couples, and of course, for transgender men who menstruate. In other words, this isn’t just a female issue.
