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Paying Less for Pink: Law Passed in 2016 Removes Sales Tax on Tampons

VCU CNS
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Flickr/Creative Commons

Starting in the new year, consumers in Illinois will no longer pay sales taxes on feminine hygiene products, such as tampons.

Senator Melinda Bush, a Grayslake Democrat, sponsored the legislation. Bush says she is also concerned that women are being charged more for some products and services than men.

Credit VCU CNS / Flickr/Creative Commons
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Flickr/Creative Commons

“Women are paying more for products, basically because they're pink. We're marketed to and charged more for items," Bush said. "Literally, if you look at some of the catalog that are out there online, sometimes children's bicycles helmets merely because things are in pink.”

The issue of taxing feminine hygiene products has garnered more attention in recent years. Most states tax these items, but lawmakers in several state legislatures have introduced bills to exempt them from sales tax.

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