Should Private School fee payers get a tax rebate

[Pamplemousecat]

Just following on from another thread. If a child isn’t in the state system should the parents still have to pay the proportion of tax that is taken for education?

But you can’t just re write the narrative to suit yourself. You can’t say that state schools won’t be affected by either closure of independent schools or fee hikes. The fees will definitely go up at many schools I know as a fact that at least four in my area will be adding the loss on to fees. Like it or not: there will be a large number of kids going back in to state system. Maybe it will be a good thing as some think? Time will tell . I do agree about old boys networking though. It can be pretty horrific and exclusive. Current govt and PMs have been full of Etonians and the like. Most of whom haven’t proven to be especially bright.

Yes.
But they should have a contact with their child to pay them a proportion of their wage on graduation, as their superior education is bound to lead to a glowing well paid career.

@NearlyGranny and stop getting grants of taxpayers' money please point me to the relevant information that supports this.

Obviously that is not how tax works, so no they shouldn't get a rebate.

Loss of charitable status would mean approximately £200 extra per child per year. Hardly breaking the bank.

Or perhaps enforced closure of private schools that way we can all be the same. It would be fairer but I’m not sure it would work.

In a word, no. In a civilised country everyone pays taxes for the benefit of everyone else. Whether or not you use all the services you are paying for is your choice (or in the case of healthcare, your good luck).

If you start letting people opt out via tax rebates there won't be anything left to pay for the services. That also goes for private healthcare.

You asked contradictory questions there. No to the title, so yes to the OP. Tax is not a payment for school fees at state schools (not least of all because we don’t pay enough tax to provide the services the government is paying for anyway). My kids go to private school and our tax bills leave us living hand to mouth btw. No bias here. If you want people who use state services to pay for them then you should just charge a means tested fee at point of access.

How annoying that your thread title requires one answer and your OP question requires the opposite! (whichever way you go with it).

No they shouldn't get a tax rebate for all reasons listed.

Should Private School fee payers get a tax rebate? No.

If a child isn’t in the state system should the parents still have to pay the proportion of tax that is taken for education? Yes.

It wouldn't be fairer and we wouldn't all be the same. Standards in state schools already vary hugely, and parenting and demographics make way more difference to children than schools themselves do anyway.

No

I don't have kids. I'm also pretty healthy and don't need the NHS much right now. No maternity care used either. Where's my discount?

The obvious answer is no. I can't believe people are thick enough to even think that this would be ok.

No, stupid idea..what about people who dont have children....

Depends if you want state educated kids to treat you at hospital, entertain you on the telly, grow your food, transport you and generally contribute to society I suppose.

I am fucking furious reading this opening statement - it’s selfish, self-serving, elitist, snobbish attitude seems like yours that have got us where we are today. Off to lower my blood pressure now- enjoy the trappings of your shitty private school.

BogglesGoggles

Your tax bill has left you living hand to mouth

Or the choices you have made in regards to your children’s education

I find this lack of awareness astounding and encounter it often at parents evening at ds school the pleading of poverty

No! Private schooling is a choice for those who have the means to afford it. Jeez!

Or, put it this way- fine, take your tax rebate and bank it. Then, watch as education funding is slashed even more and see most of the kids in this country suffer. Are you prepared to live with that?

No but I don’t think they should pay vat/lose charitable status. All that means is that those who are stretched won’t be able to afford it and will take places in the state system. The rich will carry on as before.

Stop being so selfish and look at the bigger picture. You want to live in a society where most of its children are uneducated?

We do have rights, but we also have responsibilities. Those responsibilities extend to every member of our society. Each one of us is responsible for the fact that we, as a country, need to have foodbanks! That's down to each one of us, including you.

Thinking in the small selfish way is why we have people unable to access dentistry, or opticians, who have no home. That's your fault! Yours. And mine and all of ours.

Be ashamed. Be very ashamed.

I’m sorry but if you can afford the £23k/yr to send your kid to say Kings in Ely (not even Eton or Harrow), then you don’t really need a tax rebate.
So, no, pay your taxes.

Yeah... and people with private healthcare shouldn't pay National Insurance!

Don't be so silly. Children who go to private school still benefit from teachers who have been trained in the state system and their parents know that it's there to fall back on if they can no longer afford the fees.

The private sector wouldn't be able to exist without the state. Same as health care (no A & E in private health care).

Utter elitist delusion to think that somehow private provision exists or could exist independently of state.

There’s a huge difference between the very rich paying for Eton and someone saving hard to pay for a middling private day school. Stop being so black and white and purposefully obtuse it just smacks of jealousy. Also I thought only 4% of kids went to private school? So how are you predicting that them not paying tax would cause a crash in the education system.

I find the “making huge sacrifices to pay school fees” narrative deeply distasteful.

For those still thinking yes they should you need to look up the UK Welfare State!

And “jealousy”. Oh please. Don’t be tedious.