What Exactly Is the Pink Tax?
Gender inequality researchers frequently point to the “pink tax,” a markup on goods and services marketed to women that men pay less for comparable products and services. When the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs examined 794 products sold in the city for consumers of all ages several years ago, it discovered many instances of gendered pricing. 1 However, scientists have been observing and studying this phenomenon since at least the 1990s.
What’s the Pink Tax Process?
In the strictest sense, the pink tax is not a tax. It refers to the fact that women pay more than men do for comparable or identical goods and services.
Does the Pink Tax exist Today?
The pink tax is still in place even though it is not a real tax. The federal government does not have any rules that forbid pricing discrimination based on gender, but a few state and local governments do.
What Are a Few Pink Tax Examples?
The so-called pink tax is applicable to hundreds of goods and services. One or two typical examples are goods like a pair of pants or services like a haircut. Girls-targeted children’s toys are another instance.
KEY LESSONS
Academic studies, government studies, and everyday women have found many examples of products marketed to women that cost more than nearly identical products sold to men—and far fewer examples of the opposite.
The pink tax is not an actual tax, but many women’s apparel products have higher import tariffs than men’s counterparts.
A pink tax has been discovered on hundreds of products and services.
A few state and local governments have laws prohibiting gendered price discrimination. Although bills have been introduced, the federal government of the United States does not.
When a company sells a pink product (the female version) for more money than a blue product (the male version), the extra money does not go to the government. The only people who benefit from the “pink tax” are businesses that charge women more than men.
The “tampon tax,” on the other hand, is a real sales tax that many states levy on feminine hygiene products, a cost that is borne primarily by menstruating girls and women (though also, in many cases, by their fathers or husbands). This is a distinct issue from the pink tax, and while it is related, we will not discuss it here.
The price of commodities like menstrual products and lipstick, which many women use and pay for throughout their lives but few men do, are also not included in the term “pink tax.”
Several states now forbid the pricing of goods and services based on a person’s gender. At least one attempt has also been made to pass such a law at the federal level.
The objective is to eliminate what appear to be unfair price differences through regulation. Women already make less money than males, so why should they pay more for comparable goods and services?
the conclusion
The pink tax might not actually be a tax unless there are different import customs on women’s clothing. However, many goods targeted at women end up costing more than roughly comparable goods meant for males. Even if there is room for discussion over its existence, severity, and cost, there is evidence of gendered price discrimination.