Beginning next month, those who buy diapers in the District won’t have to pay any taxes on them.
The elimination of the sales tax on diapers, effective Oct. 1, is part of D.C.’s budget for the 2020 fiscal year. Dropping the tax will cost the District $4.5 million.
“Combined with other cost-saving policies like the child care tax credits, these programs are making it easier for families to stay in and afford life in D.C.,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a news release.
On average, a pack of diapers in D.C. costs about $11 before taxes, and a newborn baby uses about 10 to 14 diapers each day during the first few months of infancy, according the news release.
Last year, Bowser and Councilwoman Anita Bonds eliminated the sales tax on feminine hygiene products in D.C.
Other family-focused investments in the budget, according to the mayor’s office, include the following:
- $2.5 million to make permanent the Keep Childcare Affordable tax credit, which provides up to $1,000 per child for families who have children enrolled in a licensed D.C. child care facility;
- $4.7 million for Families First DC, a plan that provides integrated services and uses a community-based approach to help meet families’ needs;
- $1.6 million for Connected Schools to serve as neighborhood hubs by providing services for students, families, and community members;
- $52 million to expand child care and early childhood education opportunities at Old Randle Highlands, Old Miner and Thurgood Marshall.
Bowser’s second annual National Maternal and Infant Health Summit will happen on Sept. 10.
