The Pink Tax: Is it a Big Issue?

            This research on the pink tax took on five components. First, there was an analysis of consumer expenditure reports to determine which areas women were spending a greater percentage of their expenditures than men. It was found that women spend a greater percentage of their expenditure on personal care products than men. Then there was an extensive analysis done to determine the extent of the sales tax on feminine hygiene products. There is still a sales tax on feminine hygiene products in 37 states, and this is putting a greater economic burden on women, especially women with low income. Next is an analysis of retail products that are essentially similar for men and women, to determine if they are more expensive for women. The retail products were not always more expensive when marketed towards women, but deodorants were especially problematic. Then the research turns to dry cleaning and other service industries accused of gendered pricing. Finally, the researcher determined just how much more money women spend in their lifetimes on pink tax related products and services. It was found that it is more expensive for women to dry clean their clothing, but this was not because the dry cleaning industry discriminates based on gender, but because there are many other factors at play. The bottom line is that throughout a women’s life, she will spend an extra $13,441.56 due to the pink tax, and the pink tax itself is not as great of a problem as was originally thought.