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Canadian Government Approves Motion To Get Rid Of 'Tampon Tax'

Happy Menstrual Hygiene Day, Canadian women — and as your gift, please accept a complete lack of tax on your pads and tampons.

Canadian women rejoice — soon, you won't have to pay taxes on menstrual products in Canada.

Approximately three months after a petition was launched to argue that a tax on things like tampons, pads and menstrual cups is unnecessarily unfair and discriminatory against women, the government has moved to remove it.

The Globe and Mail's digital politics editor Chris Hannay first announced the news:

The official motion was moved in the Department of Finance's Notice of Ways and Means Motion to Amend the Excise Tax Act:

That it is expedient to amend the Excise Tax Act as follows:

1. A supply of a product that is marketed exclusively for feminine hygiene purposes and is a sanitary napkin, tampon, sanitary belt, menstrual cup or other similar product.

It seems a fortuitous coincidence that this news was made public on Menstrual Hygiene Day, an initiative that encourages people to learn more about how healthy behaviours in relation to menstruation can improve women's health.

It's also a cause that's been picked up around the world, with countries like Australia petitioning their governments to remove the tax from their menstrual products.

According to the Canadian government's Department of Finance, changes will be implemented for any product made on or after July 1. And frankly, it can't come soon enough — months aren't getting any shorter.

CORRECTION: The article initially stated Menstrual Hygiene Day is a UN initiative. It is in fact a grassroots movement, with a goal to become an official UN Day by 2020.

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