Nine states and the District of Columbia exempt feminine hygiene products from sales taxes. Five other states don’t have general sales taxes. Over the…
Nine states and the District of Columbia exempt feminine hygiene products from sales taxes. Five other states don’t have general sales taxes.
Over the last few years, the issue of exempting feminine hygiene products has been a tax policy discussion in several states .
Proponents of removing the tax say these items are a necessity, not a luxury. In Nevada, opponents of the measure said that exempting these products from taxation could result in less revenue for local governments and school districts.
The amount spent in taxes per box of feminine hygiene products may not seem like much, but it adds up.
According to the state’s fiscal note, as of July 2017 there were approximately 867,000 females between the ages of 12 and 55 living in Nevada.
Assuming all of them spent $7 to $10 per month on feminine hygiene products, purchases would “generate total taxable sales” of $72.8 million to $104.0 million each year, the fiscal note said.
Dropping the sales tax of 6.86% on these products would result in an annual loss of $4.96 million to $7.11 million in tax revenue, the fiscal note said.
Groceries, candy and soda are already exempt from sales taxes in Nevada, the Tax Foundation, a think tank, reported.
In Nevada, the change will become effective January 1,2019, and expire December 31,2028, the fiscal note states.
CNN reached out to the office of the Secretary of State for further comment.
