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

Well yes but it’s an opinion on a matter that has directly harmed those close to her. So it was very rude and quite vindictive.

I don’t have children in private school. I will never directly be the victim of the VAT on private education. But my sibling works in one. His owned flat is in the same street as the school. If the school closes (currently it’s selling buildings as struggling for pupils), he’ll lose his job and his home will be at risk and he may very well have to sell up as he doesn’t drive.

No new state teachers have been employed as a consequence of private VAT. There has been no reporting of any VAT “profits” by the govt. It’s just been like pissing in someone’s dinner - nobody wins. The pisser might have laughed for a bit, but not gained anything and the diner lost their dinner.

The policy was an ill thought out “fuck you” to people involved with private schools. Based on idealism and no current knowledge of what’s going on inside these places.

Well done Reeves and Starmer. Your policies and incompetence have ended up with you both losing your cabinet jobs. But many people are still paying the price for your actions.

You're very welcome. I hope it's helped you understand that your friend's opinion is not unreasonable, and not worth losing your friendship over.

The tax has happened. Deal with it. Private education is a scourge and should not be allowed.

Private schools only. Not all. 'Since 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by private schools in the UK for a charge have been subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20%. This also applies to boarding services provided by private schools.'

What you are not getting is that it only applies to private schools, so it doesn't affect most people in the UK who use the state system. I don't agree with it although it seems it was some sort of loophole that allowed private schools not to pay VAT. Unfortunately protesting about it it just looks like rich people not wanting to pay more for school fees. There are certainly two sides to the discussion and your friend is allowed her opinion. Are you in the position that you can no longer afford private school fees and are unhappy about moving your children to state schools?

Or someone who has a different opinion to you. That’s allowed.
If fact, being exposed to a wide range of opinions is a good thing! It challenges you and makes you think more deeply and critically about your view on the world.
We’re losing that as a society, to our detriment.

It is a fact that the U.K. taxes children’s education and it has lead to schools closing.

I have two lots of friends who describe themselves as socialists having sent their children to private school. As much as it sticks in the throat, as hypocrisy is one of the most awful things in my opinion we remain friends.

I could have easily afforded to send my children to private school but chose not to. Would we be friends?

You can drop friends at anytime for any reason op. You may or may not regret it at some point.

Pots and kettles

YABU she's entitled to her own opinion your entitled to yours.

You seem to be taking her opinion as a personal attack not sure why.
It's your choice to send your children to a fee paying school so I'm not sure why your then annoyed when she agrees with a loop hole being closed. She's not saying children (or your children) aren't entitled to education there is state education available which is free to children using it.

Your going to have quite a small social pool if you take this stance with all people who think the same (other then the other parents at the fee paying school!)

Another of these threads that start slightly ambiguous, respond with more and more entrenched views whilst continually slightly misinterpreting the situation to invite explanations and traffic and have a ridiculous premise from the beginning.
The OP keeps on saying it's a tax when it has been explained over and over it is closing of a tax break. But still sticks to the wrong position to get responses.
If you were cynical.....

Agreed, that why it’s to society’s detriment to limit children’s education options.

It's not always about what it's a better education overall, rather what is better for my child or my family because of our individual circumstances. It's not accurate to characterise it as taxing people who have more money to pay for education of children from families who have less.
My kids are in a private school (you could probably guess from my previous comments!), my family have an income that is probably lower then average, the school fees are very low really and they are still a stretch for us but I know our children would not thrive in our local schools. Honestly paying the mortgage or rent in a catchment area for the "good state schools" people often refer to in these discussions would cost more per month then our school fees.
I know people who have said to me that they could never afford private school and yet they have a similar or higher income than us. They just prioritise differently. Things like going out, takeaways, holidays, how much you spend on gifts.
If you want people who have more money to pay more tax, this is not the way to do it.

Such an ill informed comment. You clearly swallowed the disingenuous Labour rhetoric.

By your assertion, anything other than 100% tax on everything is a tax break. Absolutely ridiculous albeit not a million miles off what Labour appear to believe.

It is a tax !! What on earth are you taking about ?!? Jesus wept, this is why education is so important.

www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-education-and-vocational-training-notice-70130

Tesco is just collecting VAT at a prescribed rate. on behalf of the government. A private school is just collecting VAT on behalf of the government. If they increase prices, the VAT the consumer pays will increase proportionally.

Any business that is required to collect VAT is able to claim back VAT it paid on business purchases.

It is the final consumer, in this case the person paying the school fees, who bears the burden of the VAT.

There is no VAT on essential items like basic groceries and private healthcare. The government believes that private education is not an essential item.

You have a point!

No one is doing that. It just will cost more to those who can afford it. If you can’t afford it, that’s too bad.

That forms part of your opinion. Your friend obviously thinks differently abd probably has an equally valid opinion.
I’d much rather be friends with someone who allowed me to express my own opinions than with someone who only wanted friends who thought exactly like them.

OP, if you scroll down on your link the first thing you read is "Since 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by private schools in the UK for a charge have been subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20%."

So it's vat on private schools, not all schools.

If it's 'detrimental to limit their options', aren't the private schools doing the same thing to the 93% of children who can't afford to attend?
'Spitefully' withholding their superior facilities from children from less wealthy backgrounds?

It's a closing of a VAT loophole by not allowing profit-making private education to be exempt.

That doesn't mean it's "not polotics", though. How the government raises money, and what it spends it on, is at the heart of politics.

I have friends of various political hues and so I sometimes disagree, and that's okay.

I completely understand that this issue impacts you personally and so it might feel personal if those close to you disagree. You may hold a different position on something important to them, that for you is simply another matter where you've considered the arguments and formed a view.

To answer your question, I'd counsel you not to end a friendship over it. That's where ideological zealotism creeps in. You might prefer not to discuss it with them if it's sensitive, but we live in a society with finite resources and many competing priorities. It's healthy that we discuss priorities and challenge each other. And it's okay to have friends who arrive at a different conclusion.

Other people are allowed to hold different political views to you even if they are your friends you know!!

Well spotted!

Definitely the same poster under a new name

If private schools were abolished and everyone attended state school, from Prince George to the OP’s kids, I would assert that the education system would be improved and better for all. It would remove a limit on options ( a financial one).