Arkansas Tampon Tax: Community Group Introduces Proposal to Abolish Sales Tax on Menstrual Products

An Arkansas community organization has introduced a ballot initiative aimed at eliminating the “Arkansas Tampon Tax,” a sales tax applied to menstrual products. Katie Clark, founder of the Arkansas Period Poverty Project, argues that abolishing the sales and use tax on feminine hygiene items like tampons, menstrual cups, and sanitary napkins would be advantageous for families.

Arkansas Tampon Tax. (Photo: NPR)

Campaign to Eliminate Arkansas Tampon Tax Gains Momentum

According to KNWA, Katie Clark, the founder of the Arkansas Period Poverty Project, is leading a charge to eliminate the Arkansas tampon tax, which imposes a sales tax on feminine hygiene products such as tampons, menstrual cups, and sanitary napkins.

Clark argues that removing the Arkansas Tampon tax would provide substantial relief to Arkansas families, as they currently spend approximately $3 million on tampon tax each year. She emphasizes the importance of increasing access to these essential products, highlighting that one in four girls in the state misses school due to inadequate access to pads or tampons.

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Arkansas Tampon Tax: Debating the Health and Cost Implications of Menstrual Products

Yahoo news report that while the campaign to eliminate the Arkansas Tampon Tax gains traction, some, like April Roy, the founder and CEO of femPAQ, raise questions about the health implications of certain period products. Roy suggests that not all menstrual products may be entirely healthy for the human body, and organic options, while potentially more sustainable, can also be more expensive.

She acknowledges that offering the community the opportunity to vote on whether to keep the Arkansas tampon tax is a vital discussion, emphasizing that this issue goes beyond women and affects families struggling to make ends meet. Attorney General Tim Griffin is set to decide on the proposal’s approval by September 21st.

If approved, the campaign to remove the Arkansas Tampon Tax will need to gather approximately 71,000 signatures to get the proposal on the ballot. If successful, the proposal will be voted on in November 2024, with the changes going into effect in January 2025.

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