#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2023-08-17

Say pants to the Tax: Primark and Tesco join M&S and Wuka's call on the Government to remove VAT from period pants

Since launching Say Pants to the Tax one week ago, Marks & Spencer and WUKA’s campaign to level the playing field on period products by making period pants free from VAT has amassed the support of politicians, charities, and businesses.

• Public letter calling upon the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to reclassify period pants as a period product now has more than 60 signatories, including Primark, Tesco, period poverty charity Freedom4Girls and the CEO of the British Retail Consortium, Helen Dickinson OBE

• More than 22,000 people have signed the supporting petition

• At 10,000 signatures, the petition requires a response from Government

Primark and Tesco are the latest to back the campaign, with both retailers committing to pass on the cost saving to customers if VAT is removed. The CEO of the British Retail Consortium, Helen Dickinson OBE, has also put her name to the campaign.

In the last few days, charities including Freedom4Girls, Wellbeing of Women and Bloody Good Period have put their name to the letter, as well as MPs and peers across all parties; Richard Thompson MP for Gordon is the latest politician to sign the letter.

The campaign is also live in M&S stores with customers able to scan a QR code which – in just a few clicks – takes them straight through to sign the petition.

Victoria McKenzie-Gould, Corporate Affairs Director at M&S, said: “We’ve been blown away by the response to this campaign. More than 20,000 people have added their name to the petition and dozens of supporters have signed the open letter urging the government to remove the VAT from period pants. And now with Primark and Tesco coming on board we can reach even more people to ask them to Say Pants to the Tax. Like ourselves and WUKA, Primark and Tesco have committed to passing on the cost saving to customers. Building such strong support in just one week must show the Government that making this simple change is important to people across the UK. Our next goal is 100,000 signatures and we’re continuing to ask everyone to add their voice to the overwhelming support we’ve already seen.”

Ruby Raut, CEO and Cofounder at WUKA, said: "We're delighted with the momentum our third petition to the UK government is gaining and welcome the support from leading supermarkets and high street retailers to amplify our case to axe Period Pants Tax. We must stand side by side - resolute and committed - in our collective call for equality when it comes to axing all period tax. It's time for the government to listen."

Kari Rodgers, Primark UK Retail Director, said: “We are happy to get behind this important initiative and applaud M&S and WUKA for leading the charge. 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.”

Christine Heffernan, Group Communications Director for Tesco, 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.”

M&S launches clothing repair service to give quality clothes ‘another life’ through plan a

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organIQ seek: smart alternative to potassium permanganate

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Proven performance, optimised costs – the new RE 6 EL

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European business associations celebrate the signature of the EU-Mercosur FTA

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