Eight feminine care brands are teaming as much as eradicate the Tampon Tax.

Twenty-one states still have the Tampon Tax, meaning menstrual care products are taxed as if they’re luxury items. Nevertheless, in an effort to fight against the tax, eight feminine care brands have formed the The Tampon Tax Back Coalition, through which they’ll reimburse customers for the quantity they were taxed when purchasing their products from a third-party retailer. Brands include August, The Honey Pot, Rael, Lola, Cora, Diva, Here We Flo and Saalt.

The coalition was began by Nadya Okamoto, founding father of period care brand August, who has been fighting the Tampon Tax because the brand’s inception.

“After we launched our direct-to-consumer, we were all the time absorbing the Tampon Tax for purchasers wherever possible,” she said, noting there are seven states where it is unlawful for a retailer to soak up the Tampon Tax. “After we launched in Goal in March of this 12 months, we lost the flexibility to soak up it because we weren’t overseeing the purpose of purchase and so we in a short time mobilized in May of this 12 months to seek out a strategy to reimburse people inside 24 hours for any taxes that they’re charged.”

With this, Okamoto, who previously founded the nonprofit Period.org, began reaching out to her contacts within the industry and posting on social media to bring brands together. Lola was the primary brand to achieve out to her directly after her social media posts.

“I saw the post and I used to be like, ‘That is amazing and sensible and we’d like to do something,’” said Lola chief executive officer Amy Fisher, noting the brand began brainstorming the right way to respond. “I said, ‘Why are we going to compete with them on this?’.…With certain issues like this, there is no such thing as a competition. We’re all attempting to do the most effective for our consumers.”

To be reimbursed, customers can enter their phone number on the Tampon Tax Back website — this may start a text chain where they will submit their receipts and receive a reimbursement inside 24 hours via PayPal or Venmo. Through this reimbursement, consumers within the seven states where absorbing the Tampon Tax is unlawful are still in a position to participate when purchasing from a third-party retailer.

“After we’re selling direct-to-consumer, we’re the retailers and we cannot absorb that sales tax, but once we are usually not the retailer, meaning that they’re buying on Goal or Walmart or in-store, then we will try this because we’re not technically absorbing it,” Okamoto explained.

For Okamoto, the coalition is a long-term commitment that she hopes will proceed to grow with other period care brands joining.

“I’ve continued to achieve out to the brand accounts and the emails of individuals I do know who work on Tampax and At all times, U by Kotex, the larger brands,” she said. “I actually have not heard back. I’ve been rerouted to different general press emails.…I’m putting a public call out to be like, ‘Hey, big period care brands, we’d like you on board.’”

Similarly, Fisher believes larger brands will see the community being built and recognize the necessity to join.

“Consumers vote with their wallet, they usually vote for brands that support them they usually vote for brands that show them a way of community,” she said. “They’re going to see the large support that we’re getting for this initiative and join.”

The 21 states where the Tampon Tax remains to be enforced include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The seven states where it is unlawful for a retailer to soak up the Tampon Tax include Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, North Dakota, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Kentucky.