To think if you can no longer afford school fees...

Could also get a job in Tesco

Yeah you’d think high earners would have some good financial literacy and maths skills…

Why do you assume I'm a higher earner? I earn £35k a year working two jobs.

VAT is not a luxury tax, but in any case a decent education should not be seen as a luxury.

Taking the “luxury” argument though, what about cake, caviar, artisan bread, cooking chocolate, hardback books? There’s no VAT on those.

I've mentioned this in other threads but many areas do not have catchment as priority so you can't buy your way in.

In addition, birth rates are falling and certainly in my area, despite all the schools being outstanding, there are more than enough places to cater.

Finally some posters on other threads crunched the numbers and calculated that the actual numbers of extra pupils per school will be so small as to not have any effect. I think it was less than one but I'm happy to be corrected.

Given all the above, I simply don't buy into the argument repeatedly put forward that state school pupils are going to be negatively impacted in any way by this.

I should have said 60% of income tax receipts - I thought that was clear but obviously not, so I apologise

@SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice

This was asking for what actually is their definition of middle class. Is it middle income? Is it in the way it used to mean in England, as in Upper class ( titles), Middle class ( professions), Working class ( those who do manual labour type roles) or the Marxist definitions.

No confusion.

Yeah you’d think high earners would have some good financial literacy and maths skills…

Just cancel your sky tv.

Those % are only income tax. There’s more than one tax.

How are you confused about which classes can afford private school fees?

@Labtastic

"The top 10% of earners contribute over 60% of tax receipts in this country."

No, they don't. Income tax is only about 25% of the entire tax take.

This is repeated so often I'm surprised that such high earners don't know the difference.

"My husband and I certainly aren't "elite".

Didn't say you are elite.

Although its already been proven on these threads that people's idea of what average/middle incomes are is wildly inaccurate. They mostly make these observations based on people like them.

Take it your local private isn't a standard fees either?

So how exactly is the policy going to make those kids lives better?

As a % of their income, poorer people pay more overall tax than richer people. This is because poorer people have to spend all their money on essentials that include VAT, whereas the better off, the top 7% that can afford private school fees have so much disposable cash that they hoard it into tax shelters and get higher tax relief on pensions.

The top 10% of earners contribute over 60% of tax receipts in this country.

You already have 93% of parents potentially voting for better state an extra 0.7% is insignificant. ( that is if 10% of the 7% move to state).
Please think it out before making ridiculous statements.

Yep, the luxury version of goods and services should attract VAT.

Private education is a luxury service.
Any private tutoring service you hire- you already pay VAT.

What threats are we talking about?

Why can’t we separate this discussion into a) an intellectual discussion around the benefits of the policy and b) support for parents who are struggling regardless of school?

@Labtastic

"There is a point where the very small proportion of people propping up the entire state become fed up with it and stop. And then the country is fucked. You can't keep milking people forever."

But they aren't propping up the country, only 25% of taxes come from income taxes and the top 10% pay half of those, so maybe 12.5%. Or should we bow down to their generosity?

As far as I'm aware the Laffer curve has never actually had any empirical evidence to prove the theory either.

Doesn't sound like my local private school at all.

My husband and I certainly aren't "elite". We are, I suppose, now middle class from thoroughly working class backgrounds. We've worked hard and can afford the fees. Don't know any parents from the upper echelons at our private school.

Threats? No I haven’t but what do you mean by threats?

"It’s better for all of us if the middle classes go back to state schools."

So middle class that you can afford 18k ( on average) yearly for secondary school?

Or are we going with the classic British definition which is down to titles/professions?

Or the Marxist? If your income only comes from your labour you aren't middle class?

Then they will be easily able to afford it then. As high earners and the wealthy, they also benefit far more from society than most, it facilitates their earnings, so it is only right that they contribute more.

There is a point where the very small proportion of people propping up the entire state become fed up with it and stop. And then the country is fucked. You can't keep milking people forever.

Biscuits have VAT

Fairly sure they don't, unless they have chocolate on them. I'm off to enjoy a Rich Tea tax break.

Maybe l did and it was a waste of money 🤣

I did say significantly impact them.

Biscuits have VAT

They only have VAT added if they’re covered in chocolate. Normal biscuits are VAT free.

Private schools - like state schools but more chocolatey?