Removing the GST from female sanitary products would cost the budget $75 million in the first two years, independent costings have estimated.

Over the next decade, the cost would total $480 million, the costings requested by Labor from the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) revealed.

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Despite being in place since the Howard years, a recent campaign against the so-called ‘tampon tax’ has reintroduced the controversial impost to the national debate.

By 2027/28, the cost would be $50 million annually, the PBO estimated.

Labor has said the states should agree to exempt tampons, sanitary pads and other female hygiene products in exchange for charging GST on digital downloads, which is estimated to raise $350 million between 2017 and 2019.