Lingerie company wins legal battle over special bra tax

Amoena, a lingerie company that produces post-surgery bras, swimwear and tops for women who have undergone a mastectomy, have won a legal battle over being taxed.

The Supreme Court in the USA have ruled the company should be exempt from European customs duty, which means 6.5 percent will not be payable on its Carmen bra.

Customs duties make clothing more expensive when they are taxable and exported to other markets. They are also incredibly complicated to calculate and a bain for clothing importers and exporters. The average duty on clothing is 16.9 percent and varies across type; everything from outerwear to skirts, trousers, shirts, sweaters, leather, silk and variations thereof will have a different duty calculation. A shirt with short sleeves will have a different code and duty tariff than one with long sleeves, as will a shirt with button closure over one with cuff links.

Amoena, who's fashionable lingerie has been a savior to many women who have undergone a mastectomy procedure, will see its special bras classified as an orthopedic appliance to compensate for disability. The ruling overturns an earlier legal battle again the U.K.'s HM Revenue and Customs.

Photo credit: Amoena.com