What is the pink tax and why does it matter?
J.P. Morgan Wealth Management
- The pink tax is a term often used to describe gender-based pricing discrepancies in everyday items or services like razors or dry cleaning that add costs for women. It can also refer to sales tax imposed on menstrual products.
- The pink tax is still prevalent across some products and brands in the U.S., although states and companies have steadily made strides toward eradicating price disparities.
- Gender-based pricing hurts everyone and can hinder women’s financial progress, but there are things we can do individually to help reduce its impact.
What is the pink tax?
You’re strolling down the aisle of your local supermarket, browsing everyday products. You pick up two boxes of razors made by the same company: One razor, marketed to women, comes in pink and averages $5.14 per razor. The other box, in shades of blue and black, averages $4.03 per razor.
Many women don’t ask for personal products to come in pink packaging – and they don’t deserve to pay more for comparable items. If you’ve noticed a razor marketed to women costing more than a similar men’s version, you’ve seen an example of the “pink tax”: the extra amount women may pay for everyday products and services such as razors, haircuts and even dry cleaning.
In addition, many states exempt essentials like food from general sales tax, but some still apply sales tax to feminine products like tampons and pads. This pricing discrepancy is often called the “tampon tax.” As of July 2026, more than a third of U.S. states apply sales tax to menstrual products while exempting certain other necessities.
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History of the pink tax
Gender-based pricing and marketing have existed for decades. This trend of gendered packaging has persisted and, in some cases, has been associated with price disparities.
In the 1990s, research and advocacy in California highlighted how gender-based pricing could add up over time. That momentum helped lead to California’s Gender Tax Repeal Act of 1995, which prohibits businesses from charging different prices for services of a similar or like kind based on gender.
A 2015 study by New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs found that, across nearly 800 gender-specific products from more than 90 brands, personal care products marketed toward women were 13% more expensive than similar men’s products. Another study concluded that women pay more, on average, for the identical service of laundering a basic white cotton shirt.
More recent research suggests the current reality is more nuanced. A 2021 national study by researchers from the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and Cornerstone Research looked at nine categories of personal care products and found that unit prices for women’s products were higher than those for men’s products in only four: bar soap, body wash, deodorant and razor blades. In three of the other categories, the unit prices for men’s products were higher.
In many cases, these price differentiations were largely attributed to differences in ingredients, product design and manufacturing costs.
Some states have made changes in recent years. At the start of 2023, Virginia and Iowa joined the ranks of states exempting certain personal hygiene products from sales tax. Even so, price disparities and tax treatment vary widely – and advocates say there’s more work to do.
How gender-based pricing impacts people – and what to do about it
So what can you do about it? One approach is awareness: consumers and advocates have used social media hashtags such as #genderpricing, #pinktax and #AxThePinkTax to draw attention to the issue.
Beyond awareness, there are practical steps you can take, such as buying men’s-labeled products to save money.
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