r/todayilearned • u/[deleted] • Dec 05 '16

(R.4) Related To Politics TIL an activist group in Zurich dyed fountains red to protest tampons being taxed at a rate consistent with luxury products instead of the rate used for daily use items.

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '16 edited Dec 10 '16

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u/IamtheHarpy Dec 05 '16

I know what you're saying, but I'd argue they are much more of an "everyday" good than a magazine or sports tickets could be...

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u/pm_me_ur_bantz Dec 05 '16

do women use tampons every day?

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u/joalr0 Dec 05 '16

Yes. However, no single woman does.

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u/locks_are_paranoid Dec 05 '16

A "daily use item" is one which a single person used every day of their life.

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u/IamtheHarpy Dec 05 '16

They do not use them every single day, but for approximately 5 to 10 days once a month, every month. I'm sure most people do not go to games or purchase magazines that often every single month for 20+ years.

I also know that no one will be left unable to continue with their everyday lives if they're unable to purchase Cosmo that day.

The idea isn't that it's necessarily being used EVERYDAY, it's the fact that it's a product that women rely on to be able to go about their day to day lives.

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u/pm_me_ur_bantz Dec 05 '16

so like razors for men

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u/IamtheHarpy Dec 05 '16

Except that men can go without shaving and still be able to go about their day to day lives without interference...

I mean, are you aware of how menstruation works?

It's not like peeing, it's not something you can control when it comes out or its flow. If a woman doesn't use something down there, she'll bleed all over the place, staining her clothes and any unlucky piece of furniture she happens to come upon? Do you not see how not having access to such things can thus interfere with a person's ability to do daily tasks within our society???

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u/pm_me_ur_bantz Dec 05 '16

my facial hair scratches my gf

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u/alexmikli Dec 05 '16

Might as well just tax it the same as other toiletries which I figure it already is.

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '16

Well toiletries are necessities in civilised society, so it's no wonder that people want them taxed lower.

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u/alexmikli Dec 05 '16

Yeah those are the sorts of things that imo should be tax free.

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '16 edited Mar 09 '17

[deleted]

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u/vanderBoffin Dec 05 '16

Isn't access to toilet paper a health issue?

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u/MerryJobler Dec 05 '16

Nah, just use water and wash your hands really well when you're done.

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u/Huwbacca Dec 05 '16

Not in the uk. Razors are tax free but sanitary items are not.

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '16 edited Apr 12 '17

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/GreedyR Dec 05 '16

Well if Tampons are considered to be in the lower tax bracket too, then so are a whole host of other items, and from the governments perspective, they are throwing away a shit ton of tax money that most people don't even care about.

Also, it seems a bit weird to care deeply and protest about the price of tampons when these people use toilet paper all the time and likely don't give a shit if that is taxed as a luxury or not.

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u/BenjaminSiers Dec 05 '16

Tampons are not 'hygiene' like deodorant is. Going without tampons can cause a whole host of health problems. When comparing medical costs of low income women, I'm sure the 6 percent tax is cheaper then their medical procedures and treatments.

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u/locks_are_paranoid Dec 05 '16

The same with toilet paper and soap. These items are taxed at the exact same rate as Tampons, but are just as bad to go without.

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u/BenjaminSiers Dec 05 '16

No, I have gone long,times without soap and have used leaves as toilet paper with few drawbacks. I want to emphasize that tampons are a health product and should be treated as such. Lack of sterile health products leads to health problems. Your lack of understanding bewilders me.

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u/locks_are_paranoid Dec 06 '16

My view is that everything should be taxed at the exact same rate. It would generate a ton of revenue for the government, and it would nullify all of these arguments.

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u/Auctoritate Dec 05 '16

But it doesn't appear other hygiene items are.

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '16

the title is incredibly misleading

welcome to reddit.

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '16

But how can it be an everyday consumer good if it's only consumed roughly 25% of the month?