Is Taxing Plastic Surgery Sexist?

Posted by Jill Filipovic, Feministe at 6:30 AM on November 23, 2009.

Part of the funding for the Senate's health care bill will come from a 5 percent tax on cosmetic surgery, on procedures overwhelmingly obtained by women.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/reproductivejustice/144125/is_taxing_plastic_surgery_sexist/

Part of the funding for the Senate's health care bill will come from a 5% tax on cosmetic surgery. The tax would generate $5 billion over ten years, and would only tax procedures where surgery "is not necessary to ameliorate a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or disfiguring disease."

snip

UPDATED to point out that when I wrote this post I was under the impression that gender reassignment surgery wouldn't be considered "cosmetic" and would therefore be exempt from this tax. But I'm not sure that's the case.

I'm not sure it will all be tax free either.  I could see SRS qualifying, but FFS being considered 'cosmetic' under these guidelines. But the people who will be making that decision are the same people who need the money, so...

Taxing plastic surgery is no more sexist than having sales tax on makeup or pantyhose.

The tax they would put on it would be a luxury tax.  They assume that most of the plastic surgery goes to the rich, how can afford it.

Tax the rich, which includes the plastic surgeon, but not the procedure.  Many people have plastic surgery to improve their self image, thus making them less likely to be come a burden to society.  Or to improve their income stream, which if they become rich they get taxed.



Janet

What's really stupid is that the government is sitting on a huge taxable product, one that if make legal and taxed would generate vast amounts of money and in so doing radically reduce the amount of money the government needs to spend in the criminal justice system.

I expect to see it up for serious debate in Cali this year.

Quote from: Miniar on November 24, 2009, 11:25:33 AM
Taxing plastic surgery is no more sexist than having sales tax on makeup or pantyhose.

Yeah. I'd haev to agree with this.

I had assumed that it already had a luxury tax on it, tbh.

And, sales tax in PA is 6%, just fyi. 5% is actually lower than most places' sales tax

Quote from: tekla on November 24, 2009, 11:54:17 AM
What's really stupid is that the government is sitting on a huge taxable product, one that if make legal and taxed would generate vast amounts of money and in so doing radically reduce the amount of money the government needs to spend in the criminal justice system.

I expect to see it up for serious debate in Cali this year.

I thought weed for medical useage was already legal in california?

Yeah, if you have note (payment to) from a doctor you can buy it, but it's not taxed - so it's been 'decriminalized' as opposed to legalized.  I'm talking about a complete legalization, open sales, heavy tax - which, at least for a while, would not be protested.