A bill to axe the ‘pink tax’ heads to the S.C. senate

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - A bill that aims to eliminate state sales tax period products passed the South Carolina House last week.

Representatives voted unanimously Wednesday to get rid of the ‘period tax’ or ‘tampon tax’ exempting the 6% state sales tax and extra local tax from items like tampons, pads, and sanitary napkins.

If the bill becomes law, South Carolina, which is one of 22 states in the United States with a ‘period tax’, could lose $5.9 million.

The Period Project’s, Executive Director, Karen Culbreath says losing that money is “doable” for the state.

Culbreath said 14.7% of women in the state live in poverty which is more than the national average of 11.7%.

“So where we are, we are indexing more than the national average. which means there are more individuals who really cannot afford the Sales tax here in South Carolina,” she said.

Period poverty is something Culbreath said she’s seen become a serious problem all across the state and nation.

She said period products are necessities, not luxuries.

That’s why she is pushing for this bill to pass now, more than ever.

“This is a sales tax only menstruating individuals in the state of South Carolina actually, are charged with paying. So, it is definitely an inequitable sales tax that we definitely need to eliminate,” Culbreath said.

To learn more about The Period Project, you can visit their website.

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