Primark and Tesco have become the latest to back the ‘Say Pants to the Tax’ campaign calling on the government to remove VAT on period underwear.
The retailers have joined the campaign led by M&S and period pants etailer Wuka, with both pledging to pass on the cost saving to customers if VAT is removed.
British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson has also put her name to the campaign.
M&S launched its call to ministers last week to scrap VAT on period underwear after the tax was removed on feminine hygiene products two years ago.
Period underwear are similar to regular underwear but use a thicker absorbent material to help prevent leaks, making them a good alternative to sanitary pads. They can be washed and reused many times.
However, the underwear did not benefit from the removal of ‘tampon tax’ in 2021 because it is classified as clothing.
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M&S said removing the 20% rate on the products would help make sanitary items more affordable amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
About 60 signatories have signed a letter addressed to the Treasury to abolish the tax.
More than 22,000 people have signed its supporting petition, surpassing the 10,000 minimum required for a response from the government.
The campaign is also live in M&S stores, where shoppers can scan a QR code to access the petition.
“We are happy to get behind this important initiative and applaud M&S and WUKA for leading the charge,” said Primark UK retail director Kari Rodgers.
“We believe that period pants should be as affordable and accessible to as many as possible and this small change will make a difference for many of our customers and colleagues.
“This campaign is about ensuring wherever you shop, you aren’t unfairly penalised when buying period products.”
Tesco group communications director Christine Heffernan said: “The cost of buying essential period products can be a real struggle for many people and that’s why Tesco became the first retailer to cover the cost of VAT on period products in 2017.
“We welcomed the government’s decision to abolish the ‘tampon tax’ on disposable period products in 2021.
“We’re now joining M&S and other retailers to urge the government to do the same for Period Pants helping to make this more sustainable option more affordable for customers.”
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