Diapers exempt from sales tax under new NYS law

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A new law signed Thursday in New York state will exempt baby and adult diapers from sales tax. It includes all types of diapers including disposable, reusable, and washable options.

The “DIAPER Act” is designed to help reduce the tax burden for New Yorkers, especially those in lower income brackets.

A report from the CNY Diaper Bank shows that low-income families spend roughly two times as much as those who can afford to buy diapers in bulk.

“The cost of daily essential goods, including baby diapers and adult diapers, is already sky-high for low-to-middle-income families and elderly New Yorkers,” said Assemblyman Al Stirpe of Syracuse. “This commonsense law removes municipal sales tax from all diapers and further limits the impact of ever-rising inflation on our communities.”

Most childcare providers require parents to provide disposable diapers for their kids, preventing parents without access to diapers from utilizing these services. Approximately half of the children younger than 5 years old in Syracuse live in poverty.