it's daft to think parents with kids in private school have money to burn?

[Popgoestheweaselagain]

Just got asked by my school what would be the impact if they had to pay VAT, adding 20% to fees. My response was 'I'd try to keep my child in the school, but ....'. I think almost all parents would respond this way. Alarmed, did a quick google, and found this is Labour policy. Next time they come knocking at my door looking for my vote, I'll be telling them why they can't have it!

Now, I understand why some people are ideologically opposed to private schools, the unfariness etc. But when I hear this argument that goes something like 'Those people must have loads of money because they send their kids to private school' it kind of annoys me. Money is finite. If you've spent all your money on school fees, you obviously don't have it anymore!

Education is not a luxury, private education is a luxury.

How can something be a luxury if it's a free entitlement to everyone? Surely there has to be an element of exclusivity for something to be a luxury?

Education is a necessity.

Private schooling is a luxury.

Private schooling's price bracket puts it squarely in the luxury good category, and it's in a way people tend to view it less favourably than other 'luxury goods' because education has a rivalrous element.

OP's hypothetical decision to, say, holiday in the Maldives doesn't affect the woman in the street's enjoyment of her caravan holiday. But OP's decision to educate her kids privately could easily, at the margin, have the impact of squeezing the kids of the woman in the streets out of a top university place or graduate job. That's why tax breaks are resented.

So your issue is that if the school, as a profit-making business, is required to pay VAT and thus put up the fees... you won't be able to afford to send your kids to private school?

Um, welcome to the reality for the vast majority of families. It's just a question of how much you have. If you can come up with even the slightest justification for why profit-making businesses providing luxury education for the few should be subsidised by the state by via breaks, I'm all ears.

I don't know about Tax... But private schools should not able to register as charity's.

Universities are private - they don't pay VAT either.

Any institution providing education or training is exempt. I don't think that should change regardless. They do not make profit in the sense of shareholders, any profit goes back into the institution. Be careful of what you wish for....

Education’ is defined by HMRC as a course, class or lesson of instruction or study in any subject, regardless of when and where it takes place. It includes lectures, educational seminars, conferences and symposia, recreational and sporting courses, and distance teaching and associated materials

My daughter has just started at a nursery attached to a private school. She's just started her 3yo funding so we don't pay for childcare now, and we intend her to go to the local state primary - this was just the best option nursery wise for now.

Out of interest I looked up how much it would cost to send her to the private school from reception onwards.

It starts around £500/month at reception age, rising to around £950/month at year 11.

For comparison, it costs £1250 for a full time nursery place.

So it's actually much more affordable to have a child in private school than to have a toddler in nursery.

Here’s a private school. Annual fees are £37,500 all funded by the local authority. Lots of mini private SEN schools popping up around the country. Certainly not saving the gov money

www.cornfields.kent.sch.uk/the-school/

I agree. My DC are privately educated and I struggled with my dental costs recently (had a thread here in the last few months).

I will still be voting Labour or Lib Dem, however, as I have a moral conscience and think they would be a preferable alternative to the current shambles of govt.

@robertpaulson swimming clubs and the like are costed including taxes and such. My local pool has increased the costs of it's swimming lessons substantially to cover their increased bills.

But when I hear this argument that goes something like 'Those people must have loads of money because they send their kids to private school' it kind of annoys me.

^^ I don't think many people do make this argument though? The argument is about whether or not VAT should be payable on school fees, not whether or not people who send their children to private school can afford to pay it. Some people think that VAT should be payable on school fees, despite the fact that this might price some people out of being able to send their kids to private schools.

Count yourselves lucky, Finland have banned private schools altogether.

My children are at private school and I believe that VAT should be imposed and that charitable status should be removed. I also believe my income should be taxed more. I may well vote Labour (I have never and would never vote Conservative). You can send your kids to private school and still try to vote for the best for the whole of society; being selfish isn’t obligatory.

How would all those in favour of VAT on the great "luxury" of paying for independent schooling feel about those same people being relieved of their contributions, via tax, towards education other people's children?

Independent school is not a luxury for many people. It's a necessity.

Or perhaps those who can afford to buy massively expensive houses in good catchment areas should pay an additional tax on their luxury houses in their OFSTED-Outstanding catchment areas?

OP, for the first time in 20 years, I am no longer paying school fees. It will take me 20 more years to recover financially. I'd have died a thousand deaths if VAT had been added on top of everything else.

Another point that people are missing in that a policy like this will make private school even more elitist with only the very wealthy able to afford it.

That’s on the very cheap side for private school feels though, just had a quick look and the cheapest one close to me is £1400 a month in reception, going up to £1800 a month by the end of primary school.

Because there is a state education system. Anything other than that is an unnecedssary expense, or 'luxury', and paying for it implies you have spare cash. Simple really.

The business that provide these services aren't usually given tax breaks for being 'charities'.

@Icanstillrecallourlastsummer

Are people sneering? Or do they just not think that private school parents should have a tax benefit from doing it?

A tax benefit?

Paying the fees from income already taxed at 40%, while also paying for the cost of state education on top, whilst not making use of it, and you think it's a "tax benefit"?

The mind boggles.

Fake news I believe. Finland does still have private schools.

Pretty sure you don't pay VAT on swimming lessons

So it's going from being available to a small elite, to being available to a tiny uber-elite?

I don't think the average parent, who has never had the option of choosing private schooling, will care about that difference.

Incorrect. They do not pay VAT.