To be glad that the VAT on school fees

[Shaketherombooga]

Is now going to be happening in January? what’s the point in stalling it? I think it’s one of many decisions that we just need to get in with.

YABU - it’s SO unfair. Labour hates ‘strivers’ etc etc

YANBU - Yup, Labour said they are taking away tax breaks for private schools, so let’s get on with it.

I think grammar schools are morally even worse than private schools if you are using that metric

I mean, why send your child to a grammar, knowing that the system perpetuates inequality of education?

Yes there is truth in that

Also in higher paying jobs you probably have to work long hours and have more stress and responsibility taking work home

Well some on this thread don't believe that any child should have an "unfair" advantage and think we should "level the playing field". So maybe we take those facilities away?

It’s a good temporary solution while existing schools are extended or new ones built. It’s been done all over the U.K.

We have temporary cabins for two classes. They've been there for over 20+years. In fact the temper buildings were replaced by new temporary buildings about 8 years ago due to asbestos.

There is no room and no money to build actual new classrooms. I really don't think the bar in private education is going to miraculously cover the extra needed!

So how long do you plan on using your 'good temporary solutions?

I am really tired of hearing parents whingeing, 'you're just jeeeellluss.'
Please grow up, acknowledge you have been fortunate in not being taxed to date, and suck it up, Buttercup!
'

But it wasn’t all about their kids, was it? PP pointed out that some parents really struggle to get their DC the help they need (and which can’t be provided by state schools) to achieve a better result than they would be if they were being failed by those same state schools.
They aren’t going to be the over-privileged nepo-babies that Labour are trying to target.
Dragging everyone down to the lowest outcome possible, just because you’re trying to make a point about inequality, is a typical Labour cack-handed response: they definitely WON’T use any significant portion of the VAT gained to improve the failing state schools, either - that’s just an excuse to demand the double tax in the first place!

I find it amusing that those so dead set against Brexit are keen to go against EU and introduce taxes that would be impossible within the EU (and would have to be removed if we were ever to rejoin) Almost like they think there is a benefit to Brexit 😂

Well who could have predicted this would happen:

Elite schools set to become even wealthier under new VAT rules

www.thetimes.com/article/e31ccd0f-52d6-4551-8cf0-7320816f70a7?shareToken=d996558e11105cf016998ccc69e9e705

It won't raise that much money - perhaps 600 million if they are lucky, however a lot of that if not more is being claimed back by private schools as they will now be able to claim VAT.
How will their input vat exceed their output vat?!!!

That was precisely my point 😆 Why is this such a priority when Labour says there's so much else to do?

No. I'm jealous that your DC attends a school with amazing facilities, where our local secondary has nothing of the kind. It's great that your DC are getting those opportunities but you must realise that your situation isn't true for the majority.

I think you'll find most of us have paid a shit load of tax whilst saving the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds per child that is educated privately. The tone of the OPs posts and a number of others on here are vile.

But we have been taxed!

You should not be able to buy your child an advantage, everyone should have the same options.

You shouldn’t be able to buy a house in a better catchment? Or buy your child books or extra tutoring? Or better food? Or choose to live in a better part of town or better town? Or take part in clubs? Or buy a house big enough for them to have their own bedroom? Or buy them a chrome book to study on? Or a bus fair to the library?

Yep.

Don't be silly, the government can write the new VAT legislation however they want.They have a swingeing majority and can put through what they want!

I tend to agree. If there are so many big things to 'fix', why invest so much time on something that affects so few people.

Not taxed on paying for a luxury service

This topic is one of the few where it’s ok to mock and sneer at kids. Who largely have no choice as to where their parents send them to school up to age 16.

All this stereotypical talk of ‘posh kids’ and Jocasta, Hugo etc. And of course the usual Tarquins and Clemmies on other threads. Should we be mocking the ‘common kids’ called Jayden, Riley, Neveah and Jodie-Mae? Course not, as it’s mean and not a good look from anyone.

Education is not a luxury, that's why EU law makes education exempt from VAT.

If you read the articles properly you will see it won’t actually be January at all.

At a society level, better education is not a luxury - which is why the EU ban VAT on it. In terms of inequality, once we remove the elite private schools which will not be impacted anyway, there is far more inequality within the state system. The best state schools outperform most private schools. The reason many private schools exist is because the local state schools are failing - they are nothing like the sort of state school Kier Starmer gets to send his kids to.