I genuinely want pro-VAT people to answer these two questions

[Seenandheard]

(1) Do you realise that a private school child saves the tax payer/government thousands of pounds per year by not taking up a space in state school? Not to mention the space in the classroom/competition for places? (Do you care about this point or gloss over it in your minds?!)

(2) Do ypu realise that taxing education is illegal in the EU?

Yes or no to both points, please.

I do not want reams of uninformed angry opinions. I don't want this to turn into a multi page thread/bun fight. I just want to understand whether people realise these two points, really, truly understand them. Because it seems to me that there is a mentality of "they're getting a tax break" (WRONG) or "they're taking something away from my child" (WRONG) or "they can afford it so they can spread their wealth a bit" (I'm not going into the fact that my family spend more on taxes than Nordic countries, who have a far, far higher standard of living. We give so much, get almost nothing in return- but apparently we need to give more. More. More.)

I think my deep rooted anger here is to do with people's attitudes and uninformed opinions more than the policy itself. I need to know if people are aware of the facts.

It's not though - not all wealthy people would pay the tax, as not all wealthy people use private schools, so it's a tax on private education.

VAT is a wealth tax. Well I will sure bear that in mind next time I buy chocolate digestives.

No, it is a luxury tax,
Wealth taxes tax assets.
😄

This is what happens when you pay someone to do your taxes for you, you become completely uneducated as to the different types of taxes.

So .. send the kids to state school.

Absolutely not

These are very good ideas. I think sharing facilities, engagement between schools and pupil swaps would be brilliant.

@ApplesOrangesBananas "You are right, every debate mentioning VAT on private school fees gets nasty."

Yes- the constant talk of races to the bottom, the politics of envy, and the suggestions that middle class children in state schools are always subject to bullying, abuse and (some posters only) sexual violence is a little wearing, I must say.

You think private school parents don’t also pay for tutors?!

Why would they need to if private schools are so good?
Or are they money poorly spent?

Exactly this. It’s like the way they get the middle class to turn on the working class “benefit scroungers” so they don’t look at the super rich, who are the ones really getting away with murder.

‘These are not the droids you are looking for’

Funny how the relatively rich, and the rich are now desperate to throw the super rich under the bus!

Competition. They want to give their children an advantage against the other private school children.

Several children at our school attend weekend schools in other languages. This summer a lot of them are at maths camp, writing camp, etc.

It would be my choice, but some children have a tutor in every subject. It’s incredibly competitive, and these are children who have already passed assessments to get into the school.

Ofc they pay for tutors too. The point is that private school is out of reach to all but the wealthy (apart from the usual token charity pupils) and VAT isn’t charged when it is on tutoring services.

Ah so private education is about buying an advantage, I had been led to believe it was about relieving the state of the burden of educating Tarquin.

You’re right. I think I meant funny in more of an ironic sense rather than haha funny.

Demanding equality while relying on an ‘elite’ for patronage. How to square that circle.

Glad to see it’s finally been admitted.

@absquatulize

Why would they need to if private schools are so good?
Or are they money poorly spent?"

To try and get even higher grades. A private school may turn a C grade student into a B grade student. Pay for some private tutoring on top and may get an A or A* student.

It's exactly the same concept as private night schools in Korea:

www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-38080752.amp

Working hard to get ahead

Of course they’re buying an advantage. What else are they paying for? I do t think anyone is denying that. They do also relieve the state of the burden of educating their children. One doesn’t cancel out the other.

Yes, yes

🤣 yeah ok. Rich kids at private schools with loads of tutors are hard workers and poor kids at state schools are lazy scroungers. So ofc, the rich are the deserving, and the poor the undeserving. This is the meritocracy myth.

Ah so Tarquin isn't really that bright, understood.

Surely if Tarquin was working hard he wouldn't need a tutor along with all the advantages of private schooling?

By the sounds of it Tarquin is a significant burden.

VAT is neither a wealth tax nor a luxury tax. It is notoriously regressive