Fort Collins to eliminate city sales tax on menstrual products
Fort Collins will exempt menstrual products from city sales tax in an effort to enhance gender equity in the city's sales tax code.
The exemption, which Fort Collins City Council approved unanimously at its Tuesday meeting, is expected to take effect in mid-December (60 days after second reading). It will apply to tampons, panty liners, menstrual cups, sanitary napkins and "other similar tangible personal property designed for hygiene in connection with the human menstrual cycle" purchased in city limits, according to the ordinance.
Council listed the sales tax exemption among its 31 priorities for 2021-23. It will save an estimated 47,500 Fort Collins residents who menstruate an average of a few dollars a year and cost the city an estimated $110,000 in lost revenue from sales tax. The city's sales tax is 3.85%, and people who menstruate spend an average of $60 a year on menstrual products.
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"This was one of our priorities, and it's really exciting to get it done so quickly," said Mayor pro-tem Emily Francis (formerly Gorgol). "We know that women pay a higher tax on menstrual, hair care and young girls toys, so this is just one way we're trying to advance gender equity in our city."
Menstrual products are expected to become exempt from state sales tax in 2023 due to recently passed legislation in the Colorado General Assembly. A previous attempt to exempt them from state sales tax failed in 2017. The cities of Denver and Aurora also exempt menstrual products from city sales tax.
The city plans to send letters to grocery stores, convenience stores, big box stores and online retailers to notify them of the change.
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Editor's note: This story includes a correction. Due to a source error, the original story included inaccurate information about the state sales tax on menstrual products.Though the Colorado General Assembly recently passed legislation removing the state sales tax on menstrual products, expected to take effect in 2023, the older state legislation that was referenced in the story did not pass. Menstrual products were subject to state sales tax at the time of this story's publication.
Jacy Marmaduke covers government accountability for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter @jacymarmaduke. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins City Council eliminates sales tax on menstrual products
