Aontú Leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has called on the Irish Government to use Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union to seek agreement for a 0% VAT rate on sunscreen products, arguing that essential sun protection should be treated as a public health measure rather than a cosmetic luxury.
The Deputy stated “Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Ireland, we are seeing more than 11,000 people diagnosed every year. Nine out of every ten skin cancers are caused by UV exposure, yet the State continues to apply a 23% tax to one of the products most commonly recommended to help reduce that risk.Sunscreen is not a luxury item. It is a basic health product that families, outdoor workers, children and older people are encouraged to use by public health authorities. The current VAT treatment effectively places a tax on skin cancer prevention.”
“Ireland has successfully argued for changes to EU VAT rules in the past, including the removal of VAT on menstrual products and the introduction of zero-rating for other essential goods such as children’s clothing, oral medicines and solar panels. There is no reason why sun protection products should not be afforded similar treatment.”
“The Irish Government should make this a priority during Ireland’s EU Presidency and build support among member states for a change to the VAT Directive that would allow sunscreen products of SPF30 and above to be zero-rated throughout the European Union.”
“At a time when skin cancer diagnoses continue to rise and public health authorities are urging people to protect themselves from harmful UV exposure, governments should be removing barriers to prevention, not increasing them through taxation.”
“The message from health experts is clear. Skin cancer is largely preventable, and sunscreen is one of the key tools in that prevention. The Government should use the opportunity of Ireland’s EU Presidency to lead a common-sense change across Europe. We should not be taxing cancer prevention at 23%.” Concluded the Deputy
