Removal of GST from Sanitary Pads

India is a developing country and another achievement is added to it. GST has been removed from sanitary napkins. Pads were taxed at 12 per cent under the one-year old GST regime, but not anymore. This decision to exempt sanitary pads was taken by the GST council on 21^st July, 2018.

That means from now onwards there would be no input tax credit available, though inputs in the production of sanitary napkins are taxed. Various activists said removing the tax on pads is an initiative to break the barrier in girls education as often few of them are forced to stay at home due to lack of access to clean hygiene products and lack of toilets in schools in rural areas. The decision accelerated various protests and petitions and court cases that questioned why government taxed pads i.e. an essential to women and but not condoms that not in the category of essentials. Bollywood’s first film on menstrual hygiene ‘Padman’ starring Akshay Kumar triggered debate over the taboo subject of menstrual hygiene in India. Mr Kumar is at the forefront of a campaign by Niine Movement, an initiative promoting menstrual hygiene, to help increase the number of women using pads. "The tax exemption is a massive boost," Akshay Kumar said.

By: Shruti Anand

Content: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/sanitary-napkins-now-exempt-from-gst-decides-tax-council-1887368