Have you seen the news? Radiographers have called to have the VAT removed from bras.
We are about to play devil’s advocate and dive into the reasons that have been discussed by the SoR (Society of Radiographers) as to why VAT should be removed from bras.
What do you think? Should VAT be removed from bras?
It’s a big question and one that needs a lot of thought. It’s a hot topic at the moment, as they were talking about it on Loose Women, it’s worth a watch! Click here to watch.
Discussion Points About Removing The VAT On Bras
One of the biggest points in favour of removing the VAT from bras is due to poor fitting bras causing musculoskeletal problems. They are stating that people with a D or above bust are more likely to get back, neck or shoulder pain from a poorly fitting bra.
This may be true, the bigger the bust the more chance you have of pain from an ill-fitting bra. But a D cup in a back size 30 is very different to a D in a back size 40.
Here at AmpleBosom the only thing we want for all our customers is to be in the correct size bra but will removing the VAT from bras put people in the correct size bra?
Once you get to a bust size bigger than D you may find it much harder to find your size in the shop, removing the VAT may make the more expensive bras that cover a wider range of sizes more accessible to all and in our eyes here at AB HQ that would be great news because we believe that all woman should have access to a well-fitting bra.
What if your correct size is not the size you want to hear? Will we just ignore and carry on wearing the size we always have and the size we want to hear? We all do it “I can’t be a … I’ve always worn a…” but who is going to know other than you and who is going to care? Trust us we aren’t going to tell anyone, and who would we tell anyway?
Should we be campaigning for a bigger range of sizes? Just because you have removed the VAT from the product that does not mean that people will be in the correct size and then you will still have the same issue as before, people will still suffer from back, neck and shoulder pain. Do we just need better education in fitting ourselves? Each brand and sometimes each style can fit differently which is why you always need to seek advice/ get measured when changing bras.
Would removing the VAT from bras help our NHS? As the radiographers believe this will help reduce the amount of ladies in the wrong/fitting bras then this may have a domino effect and take some of the burden from the NHS, we all love the NHS and appreciate all that they do for us. So would it be beneficial to remove the VAT from bras which we all wear everyday (most of the time), hopefully leading to less pains and therefore leading to less need of the scans to see if they have caused any musculoskeletal problems.
Something us 
women have campaigned for a long time. Are bras something we overlooked as we are just so used to wearing them?
As part of the equality Act 2010, the VAT on a bra could be discriminatory. At the SoR conference Gill Hodges was quoted saying, “Only people with breasts have to pay for VAT on bras.”
She is not wrong, currently if you have undergone surgery for breast cancer and had either a full or partial mastectomy or a lumpectomy you are VAT exempt on bras. As much as we agree with this, why should women have to pay VAT, we didn’t ask to have breasts!! This is an extra cost that women must endure over men and bras are not cheap.
The VAT on period pants was dropped back in January this year (2024), are bras the next step? Like periods, women do not get a choice; it’s something we are born with. Bras are for some of us a necessity as there is nothing to determine what size they may be.
However, where will it stop? Are normal pants/underwear a necessity? Are clothes a necessity? It’s illegal to walk around naked so should clothes be VAT exempt as well?
Are bras just the first step to a never ending battle on what is a necessity, do we just have to realise that a bra is like clothing and they are something we need to pay for and should we be focusing our efforts on something else?
As we all know bras aren’t always the cheapest. Could removing the VAT make bras more affordable and accessible for everyone?
Bras come in a range of prices, from your more affordable everyday bras to your luxury brands. How will that work if the VAT is removed? Will the brands that design affordable bras miss out as now more people will be able to afford the luxury brands?
Here at AmpleBosom we listen to our customers’ budget and look for the correct size bra in a budget that suits them.
As some of you ladies may know, finding a larger sized bra is hard and you can be looking at a much higher price than you wanted/thought to be able to get a bra to fit you. Removing the VAT will reduce this and make bras more affordable for everyone no matter your size.
We are sure you all have your own opinion and at the moment here at AmpleBosom we are yet to make our mind up as hopefully we have pointed out there are a lot of different factors that need to be considered as to whether this is a good idea or not.
We think the main point to learn from this is that we all need to be in the right fitting bra for comfort as no one should be in pain from their bra. Don’t forget our bra specialists are here to help guide you to the correct size or use our handy fitting guide to find your correct size from the comfort of your own home.
If you would like any help finding a well fitting and comfortable bra then please give our friendly team of bra specialists a call on 01439 798388 or email us here, we will be happy to help.
Also visit our bra fitting guide, our handy bra measuring guide, our useful size guide page with size charts for bras, briefs and nightwear and our blog for advice, tips and recommendations. We are here to help you find your perfect fit!
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Blogpost written by AmpleBosom 22/04/2024