Democratic lawmakers in the Ohio House who have been pushing for years to eliminate sales tax for feminine hygiene products were finally able to get it through – and nearly unanimously. But this time, it was part of a larger tax related bill.
Rep. Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati) is among those fighting what is known as the “pink tax.” She says tampons and pads are medically necessary products for women. And she says they are expensive.
“By exempting these feminine hygiene products from the sales tax, millions of Ohio women and families will benefit," Kelly says.
The elimination of the “Pink Tax” was rolled into a Republican-sponsored billthat allows small businesses to pay their sales taxes when they receive payment, rather than up front when customers order goods or services. According to a fiscal analysis from the Legislative Service Commission, the state could lose $4 million a year in sales tax revenue. If this bill is passed by the Ohio Senate and is signed into law, Ohio would join 15 other states embarking on the tampon tax push to exempt feminine products from sales tax.