Finance Ministry proposes lowering VAT on menstrual products

Finance Minister Alena Schillerová will propose lowering the value added tax on menstrual products from the current 21 percent to 10 percent, the ministry announced via a press release on Tuesday. It expects income to fall by CZK 300 million as a result.

The move was proposed to the finance minister by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who made it in response to Scotland’s decision to make these products free in order to fight “period poverty”. The prime minister also tweeted last week that menstrual products could be made completely free for the poorest groups in society.

The legislation proposal will have to be approved by the Chamber of Deputies. If it passes, the change in VAT could come into effect sometime in spring 2021.