AIBU to reconsider a long friendship over support for education tax?

[CoconutRumcake]

A close friend of over 15 years last night unashamedly said she supported the children’s education tax. To put this in context, she is godmother to my ds and has seen first hand what damage this has done to children and families as well as her own sister losing her job when the school closed. She had maybe drank too much and has apologised over text this morning, but I really can’t shake the feeling that I don’t want to be around her.
AIBU -try and move past it
YANBU -it’s run it’s time

Really sorry your kids have to slum it now OP with the rest if our kids. Personally I wouldn't fall out with a good friend over something like that, but hey maybe your kids will learn tolerance mixing with the riff raff?

Doubt the school closed just because if vat...suspect there were other issues too!

Nothing to do with charities. Sigh.

What a load of goady bollocks

The person you were replying to referred to it

"It depends where you live. Not all state options are suitable for my child. Those places are only for low-lifes who can't afford any better,. That’s why house prices vary so much depending on catchment area boundaries."

Fixed it for you.

I just want to add that in highly egalitarian societies, the vast majority of children, from every social background, attend the same school, mix together, and make friends together. This is a good thing for everybody. If it were up to me I'd make private schools illegal. Then parents like OP would have motivation to make their local school better, and not just use their cash to buy their kid privileges.

YANBU OP.

What has it ‘done to people’? Private schools aren’t charities - they are available only to those who are privileged enough to be able to afford them, so why on earth should they be allowed to profit from charitable status ? Your friend is right, and you should be able to put political difference of opinion aside if you have a strong friendship.

Nope, 0% of non state children's education is tax free now. 0%. Can I ask why you keep insisting a children’s education and vocational training tax is not a tax? It seems quite an absurd thing to keep repeating.

What makes you think I want sympathy? I’m only pointing out that just because I used to pay for an independent education for my children, it didn’t mean I wasn’t paying for yours.

The children don't choose. It's an option for parents.

So, I think what I understand from this thread is that the event in question didn't really happen at all, and you're just looking to stir things up with your bullshit and poor grammar on a gloomy Saturday? Got it.

I think you need to look into this a bit more before you cut off a life long friend. Technically what the government have done is exactly what @Mumblechum0 said

By “”education tax”, do you mean the removal of charitable tax breaks from private schools? Ie that a fee paying school is no longer treated in the same way as an actual charity?

Previously private schools were exempt from paying VAT if they were registered charities. The government legislated to prevent private schools from benefiting from this charitable tax break and as a result parents now have to pay 20% VAT tax on fees.

Private schools that are also charities can only reinvest profit into their charitable objectives which are generally the provision of education so they do not pay corporation tax unless they also operate an arms length trading company that is run as a private company (which is pretty shady practice if you were presenting as a charity to give wealthy service users a significant discount). Private schools will pay VAT on any purchases, but so will any other large charity, and many large charities also have to pay VAT on contracts they receive to deliver services. The removal of tax breaks from private schools was long overdue in that respect.

Well, yes actually. We have a student coming from a Nigerian Boarding School to join us, residing with family in the area. If all goes to plan & he's enrolled, work will be uploaded digitally for all subjects so he can catch up before arriving. There will also be supported study after school for him. Inner city comprehensive.

Incidently, all my DC have attended inner-city comprehensives (no grammar system in Scotland). DS1 just graduated with a v high 1st (93%) in STEM from an RG University.

You're being absolutely ridiculous. If you would consider falling out with a friend over this you weren't much of a friend in the first place.

Sigh. Are you really that obtuse and awful?

You are arguing about something that most people can't afford.

It would be like Marie Antoinette complaining that her luxury silk dresses have got more expensive, while other people can't afford clothes or food

'I just want to add that in highly egalitarian societies, the vast majority of children, from every social background, attend the same school, mix together, and make friends together. This is a good thing for everybody. If it were up to me I'd make private schools illegal. Then parents like OP would have motivation to make their local school better, and not just use their cash to buy their kid privileges.'

Many parts of the UK (or England at least), are like that. Hence I myself went to a local comprehensive school with no other choice (grammar about 50 miles away). Was a very shit school. I did ok despite that. And now I can I send my kids to private school, a very good one. Our local school is worse than the one I went to. No chance.

What are you talking about? What does being a school being charity have to do with children paying tax on their education? You seem to be confusing two different things.

Ok. Not profit, but surplus. They have to make surplus to reinvest. If they make a loss, they fail.

@CoconutRumcake let me try again- did you post a similar question couple of months ago, pondering whether you should let your child play with a kid who’s mom was in favour of „education tax” as you ridiculously call it???? Was it you?

Lots do

I'm not sure if you're being deliberately obtuse or if you genuinely can't understand.

Us and most of our social circle are net tax payers, some use private education, some don’t- there’s a mix of view on VAT addition to private education but most are pro it (as am I). It’s really not that unusual for people to have opposing views and manage to stay friends without calling either other the names you’ve called your friend and god mother to your child on this thread.

Well that's good. Because I do think that is something that the Government didn't think through well enough when they implemented the VAT.

A lot of international student's families have told me that they can now not afford to pay for school in the U.K. They really wanted their child to have an education in the U.K, so the U.K is losing an income stream that way, and children are also losing out on an experience

I’m also against VAT on private education. People pay their taxes (thus subsidising the state system) AND private school fees (thus keeping the state system less crowded).
however, I have plenty of friends who have a different opinion and I would see myself as insanely controlling if they felt they had to call me to apologise for their opinions.

To avoid similar scenarios in future I suggest sending out a questionnaire covering national fiscal policy plans to anyone who you are considering befriending. That way you can weed out envious time wasting lefties.

Why assume it will be better at a private school?