How many kids have left the school? (VAT)

@PurpleThistle7 - do people not move house in Scotland to get into the catchments of the best schools?

Pay your taxes!

State schools are organisations not children, the tax applies to all children. The children are liable for the tax on full time non tax payer funded education or vocational training.

I'm in Scotland so it's either state or private, there's no in between options. Which makes it either easier or harder!

The legislation excludes state schools at paragraph 1.2 so to try and claim it affects all children is disingenuous

What is a bigger advantage for a child in the long run? Parents pay at least 300k private education. Or they invest that money now and hand over more like 450k to a child later on to pay uni fees/house deposit etc and set them up for life? And use the local state schools, often very good and the free state benefit there at a cost to the taxpayer of close to 110k per child now (not including additional needs).
It is really not that clear cut where the advantage lies. Especially for most people who can just about afford it. Hardly anyone can “very easily” afford 300k per child out of post tax income.
The State is just nudging people in the take the state benefit way. Like they are trying to get small time landlords out of providing a service. But in the end we will all be paying for it. The maths is not clear cut.

Education is 100% an advantage, and independent schools generally offer a superior education for children. Not always however, grammar and other selective schools (selection can be by house price in the area) can and do out perform independent. It’s not always private over state. Now seeing that the argument is we must penalise the children at the good schools ( luxury schools?!?) in some way (and for some reason nobody can explain this is a good idea) then why just non tax payer funded schools ?

Are you doctors, barristers or head teachers like your grandparents? I know many people in those professions still very easily affording private school.

Yep, sorry. https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ALR-and-others-v-Chancellor-of-the-Exchequer-private-schools-VAT-judgment.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

They were forced to admit that they had been advised above 10% move to state would likely render the policy break even and beyond that a net cost to tax payer. They were advised 10% is likely medium term.

I agree.

There are some people who couldn’t afford private school 30 years ago and would not be able to afford it today, either.

So, the logic of people who could afford it before the VAT increase is that it’s not fair because they can’t afford it any more.

But it was fair before, when you could afford it but others couldn’t? It’s hypocritical.

No we’re not, that’s hyperbolic .

the biggest cause of schools closing is pupil numbers dropping.

if a school closed because of vat on school fees they were a failing school.

why do I picture the simpsons lady screaming won’t someone please think of the children!

every tax and spend decision has winners and losers. For once it is the rich. Don’t make out that it’s hurting everyone or even the majority.

one of my mates says he has cut back on golf because of the increase. Just imagine!

Here is a link to HMRC describing the tax on ‘education and vocational training’ for children: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-education-and-vocational-training-notice-70130

There are loads of people in state education who are richer and higher income households than some in private schools.
So my friend has one kid, we have 4. So we cannot afford private education because we have 4. However, we have a higher household income.
She is now paying £45 for a 30 minute flute lesson and I am paying £23 for the exact same thing, with the same teacher. It is completely ridiculous.

Exactly right

The music lessons in particular are a complete joke! So we do not pay VAT on our flute teacher visiting a grammar school but my friend is having to pay VAT on her child’s flute lessons, simply because the private school decided to give the flute teacher proper employment protection and more of a fixed salary. And now my friend is being penalised for it. Absolutely ludicrous to incentivise the private school to unemploy the flute teacher!

Any chance of a link to those court documents you mentioned earlier?

I have two kids in grammar schools currently (year 7 and year 12). There are definitely more from private schools than in previous years and I would know because I have 2 older kids who already finished school.
So they have displaced some kids who would have gotten grammar. The displaced ones went to better comps, so they displaced some poorer kids from better comps. That is how it works in the real world. To be honest, those who have joined grammar who were priced out or refused to continue to pay, seem quite happy with it all.
At Sixth Form, in particular, a whole lot of ex private school kids moving into best local Sixth Forms will 100 per cent be taking places from state school kids, including those already there if the grade requirements are lifted to accommodate more competition. And then the same kids will also get into elite unis. Not sure how this is the big equality win that people were hoping for, but it does save some parents money. If anything it probably helps the Labour Party chums who were priced out of private education to feel like there are more of their sort in state schools now.

Lovely.

No, the vat is on private school fees (and boarding services I believe ) not sure what point you are trying to make there is no vat on children’s education.

just the luxury £6000+ a term that the uber wealthy afford so tarquin doesn’t have to mix with oiks

The entitlement would be those who believe they are entitled to tax children’s education

Entitlement? For believing that education shouldn't be taxed however it's provided? Nope. As I say, my kids are at state school. The fact that other people choose to use private schools does not concern me.

I'm not wound up at all.

No, the sense of entitlement of people like you is what’s shocking. Get a grip.

See this? This is just rude. We're talking about children's education being disrupted and teachers and other school staff losing their jobs. Nobody should be celebrating that.

It’s children who went to the schools, not adults.