The Large Families of Europe united by the VAT reduction of diapers
Because diapers are used daily by millions of children and their cost is very high, because they are taxed with 21% VAT, especially when there are several children in the family, the Large Family Associations of 20 European countries , including Spain, led by the European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC) have joined to claim within the EU the VAT reduction of diapers.
Currently, diapers for babies and children are taxed at 21 percent VAT, a maximum tax rate that they share with other non-essential items such as tobacco, alcoholic beverages, hairdressing, cosmetics, nightclubs or the party rooms.
This is the common cause for which Numerous Families throughout Europe are currently struggling. Its final objective is to get the EU Government to modify the directive that taxes diapers and other children's products as luxury goods.
For the VAT reduction of diapers
In the specific case of Spain, diapers, which must be used every day by millions of children, have a 21 percent VAT. The Spanish Federation of Large Families, through its president Eva Holgado Pascual, considers "disproportionate and inadequate that diapers may be taxed with more than double VAT than certain exclusive or luxury items, such as restaurants or trips, which are Something punctual, which is done as an extraordinary expense, and facing this, families have to face a cost in diapers exorbitant by the 21 percent that has VAT, when it is something necessary for our children, which must be used every day for an average of two years obligatorily ".
And is that spending on diapers has a great impact on the economy of families. On average, the average cost is around 50 euros per month for a child, although it depends on the age and the brand. This amount is what must be faced during the first two years of the baby's life and in the case of large families, with three or more children, this economic outlay in diapers doubles or triples, extending over the years, and in families with multiple births, the cost also rises enormously, since they have to multiply it at the same time by two or by three, which means facing 100 or 150 euros each month, only in diapers.
A great support in Social Networks
Since June 2015, the European Associations of Large Families launched a campaign to raise public awareness in all countries that are part of ELFAC, this initiative has achieved significant social support in social networks, where the petition It was developed through the hashtag # rebajaIVApañalesYA (#lowerVATnappiesNOW in English).
Now, the European Associations of Large Families are establishing contact with social organizations in the field of childhood and family, including UNICEF, Save the Children, CEAPA, Children's Villages, etc. so they can join this request through //lowervat.strikingly.com/.
Individuals can also join this initiative, thanks to the collection of signatures that the Change.org platform has opened, where it is expected to obtain the support of thousands of citizens who also consider it necessary to lower the current VAT on diapers.
All the support gathered in each country will be transferred to the respective Economics authorities to present it within the ECOFIN, the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of the EU, in which the Ministers of Economy of all the States participate and where They discuss these types of issues.
Marisol Nuevo Espín
