Marks & Spencer has come together with period pants brand, WUKA, to ask the Government to remove the 20% VAT that applies to period pants – a reusable period product.
To launch, more than 50 signatories, including 35 MPs & peers and the charities Wellbeing of Women and Bloody Good Period, have put their name to a public letter to Victoria Atkins, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, requesting that period pants are classified as a garment in this year’s Autumn Statement. Say ‘Pants to the Tax’ will also call on the public to sign a parliamentary petition; at 100,000 signatures, the petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.
In 2021, the Government removed the ‘Tampon Tax’ and products – such as tampons, pads, and menstrual cups – stopped incurring VAT. But under current VAT rules, period pants are classified as garments and therefore subject to a tax rate of 20%. M&S and WUKA customers alone have paid more than £3 million in VAT on period pants.
A reusable period product, period pants can be worn, washed, and worn again, month after month which means they can save consumers money and help reduce plastic waste too (WUKA estimates that one pair of period pants can save 200 single-use plastic disposables from going to landfill).
M&S has pledged to pass the entirety of the cost saving onto customers which means a three pack of period knickers that currently retail at £20 will have a new lower price of £16.
Victoria McKenzie-Gould, Corporate Affairs Director at M&S, said: “The Government made a brilliant start by removing VAT from disposable period products, but we need them to finish the job and level the playing field so that whatever period product someone chooses to use, it is VAT free. Nearly 25% of women cite cost as a barrier to using period pants* – if they were classified as they should be – as a period product – the Government can make this brilliant alternative to disposable products, a more cost-effective option for UK consumers.”
Laura Charles, Lingerie Director at M&S, said: “As the UK’s biggest knicker retailer, we want to do something about the VAT that our customers pay on period pants. Over the past few years, our customers have paid over £1.5 million in tax but if this tax is removed, we can pass the entirety of the cost saving onto our customers. It’s great to have the support of so many brilliant individuals and organisations and we welcome all businesses to sign-our letter and help us say Pants to the Tax!”
Ruby, CEO & Founder at WUKA, said: “This is our third petition since 2021 calling for VAT on period pants to be removed. Abolishing this tax will not only make period pants more accessible to people who desperately need them but help us achieve our net-zero goals. WUKA’s carbon report published last year highlighted period pants have 5x less carbon footprint compared to pads and tampons and that if 15million people who menstruate in the UK switched to period pants, we would save 4.2million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from entering our atmosphere. This is an issue that affects us all- people and planet.”
Three years on from launching period pants, M&S now sells more than 6,000 packs each week. Period pants may look like regular knickers but they are specifically designed to be leak-proof and replace the need for other period products, like pads and tampons. They are highly-absorbent, made using anti-odour technology and a multi-layer of fabric to ensure all-day comfort and freshness.
Find out more about the campaign and information on the petition here.
