Paid Sales Tax on Tampons? Here's How to Get Reimbursed

If you’ve been paying a grocery sales tax on menstrual products, listen up: Some tampon manufacturers want to reimburse you.

Twenty-one U.S. states apply sales tax to menstrual products, a fee that’s known as the “tampon tax”. Lots of people pay it, while other essentials, like food and medicine, are exempt. And we’re not just talking about some chump change, either — Americans pay more than $80 million a year in these taxes on tampons.

As a result, eight different period care brands have banded together to create the “Tampon Tax Back Coalition” — and they’re paying customers back for the sales tax they’ve paid on their products. The whole initiative is geared toward building awareness about this tax, in hopes that it’ll be eliminated — to make menstrual care products more accessible.

We’ll tell you all about the Tampon Tax Back Coalition, what they’re doing, and how to get some of your Tampon Tax reimbursed.

 

First, you have to buy one of the 8 Tampon Tax Back Coalition brands.

The Tampon Tax Back Coalition is made up of the following period care brands:

• August
• Cora
• LOLA
• The Honey Pot
• Rael
• Here We Flo
• Saalt
• DIVA

To qualify for reimbursement, you’ll need to buy one of these brands’ products, including things like pads, menstrual cups, and tampons. Make sure to keep your receipt. It has the tax information on it that’s necessary to getting your reimbursement.

Related: 14 Receipt Apps That Reward You for Everyday Shopping

 

Text your receipts to the Coalition within 10 days of purchase.

Submit your phone number on the Tampon Tax Back Coalition website. Take a photo of your qualifying receipts. Once you receive a text, you can then respond by attaching images of your receipts.

Just make sure you do this within 10 days of purchasing your tampons or other qualifying menstrual care products.

 

 

You’ll get reimbursed within about a day, sent to Venmo or PayPal.

Once you join the Coalition by giving your phone number, you’ll get a text message saying that your cash back will automatically go to your Venmo account. Although if you prefer PayPal, you can simply send the word “PayPal” back in the text thread, and they’ll reimburse you that way.

In either case, make sure the phone number you’re texting from is associated with your active Venmo or PayPal account.

The amount you’ll receive in your account will match the amount you were charged by your state in sales tax for your menstrual products. Here’s the current tax rate for these products:

• Alabama: 11.5%
• Arkansas: 9.46%
• Arizona: 11.2%
• Georgia: 9%
• Hawaii: 4.71%
• Idaho: 9%
• Indiana: 7%
• Kansas: 10.6%
• Kentucky: 6%
• Mississippi: 8%
• Missouri: 9.6%
• North Carolina: 7.5%
• North Dakota: 8.5%
• Oklahoma: 11.5%
• South Carolina: 7%
• South Dakota: 4.5%
• Tennessee: 9.75
• Utah: 7.19%
• West Virginia: 7%
• Wisconsin: 5.5%
• Wyoming: 6%

So, for example, when you buy the $6 Cora Got-You-Covered Liner, you pay 9% sales tax on it in Idaho — or $0.54. That’s what you’d get paid back.