VAT on private school fees

[user1486984759]

So I’m going to get crucified for this, BUT, let me get this straight:

• We pay 45% tax, thereby funding state schools
• We do not get any benefits, and those that do get priority when it comes to state school admissions
• We scrimp and save from what’s left after paying 45% tax to pay for our kids’ education
• And now the state is going to add 20% to our school fees to fund state schools
• So we pay the most to fund state schools, but when it comes to state school admissions, we are last in line

How is this fair?

It seems that in this country, the best places to be are (1) a non-dom billionaire, or (2) someone who doesn’t pay taxes, gets all the benefits, and gets priority in state school admissions. The hard working PAYE earners are screwed by parties from left, right and center.

'We do not get any benefits, and those that do get priority when it comes to state school admissions'

Who on earth told you this nonsense?

Your last in line stuff is cobblers. The rest is your choice. Go to state, don't pay all that extra, and you'll be the same place in line as the rest of us.

Tiny 🎻

Ok, it seems this but was either outdated info or my misunderstanding. Regardless, the rest of my points still stand. Parents who are sending their kids to private schools mostly are already paying more than their fare share (with a small minority being from UK old money and foreign billionaires). They are funding the state school system with their taxes and by not sending their own child to the system, they are saving a seat for someone else.

You pay way more than 45 pc tax btw

Because its a service like any other and they've been completely ripping off the country for years by pretending to be charities. Its a complete disgrace.

So send your children to state schools and problem solved?

Don't make out you are doing the government a favour by saving a seat for someone else! It's your choice to go private. There's a perfectly good state education available to you in return for your taxes. Finland has no private schools at all and is the top rated education system in the world.

Well, I think we can all agree, the good news is you don’t have to be in any way intelligent to earn enough to pay a higher rate of tax. Apparently…

Only “education” is a charitable purpose in its own right. Sadly some people are too caught up in the politics of envy to appreciate that a well-educated society benefits the country as a whole.

I hope you always decline the services of any doctors, surgeons, teachers, dentists etc who were privately educated.

It would be a disgrace if you benefited from their education, feeling the way you do.

I expect if the VAT comes in, all those bursary places will disappear.

This will absolutely make them more elitist.

Some definitely give back charitably - through sharing facilities, bursary places - and some don’t.

This also means that those who are very stretched will fall back into the stretched state system.

Some private schools are elitist, some are more charitable, there are good, there are bad, like anything tax related - it isn’t the people you want to hurt that will be affected.

The hard working PAYE earners are screwed by parties from left, right and center.

Centre. Did you have an expensive private education?

Op I don't believe in Private schools I think all children should be given the same education.

However I know that private schools are here to stay - they are a business who pay tax, and bring money into the UK from overseas kids. And they could easily up sticks and move well the elite boarding schools anyway.

However I don't think it's appropriate that parents are charged 20% vat for taking kids out of mainstream schools., 5% maybe.

Do parents pay vat on nurseries? I actually can't remember

1. Finland is ranked #8 in the world according to Pisa 2023 rankings so your info is outdated
2. Finland funds its education system. If UK funded its education system, instead of wasting money on high speed rails that go nowhere, it would be less of a disgrace.
3. Imagine parents like us do say enough is enough, we send our kids to state schools, how is this failed state system going to cope with the influx of thousands of kids?

Private education is a luxury item for most, so why shouldn't you pay VAT?

As for funding state schools and not using them.....not everyone uses libraries, social care, public transport etc, but we all fund them as they're part of the social infrastructure.

And you pay your fair share, not more than your fair share. As do those paying a lower rate of tax. And do you think the parents of state school pupils pay no tax at all? You seem yo think you are funding it all.

Isn’t it something like 8% of kids in private schools? So how do you think the country is still standing if 92% of children are being educated by a “failed” “disgraceful” system? I’m not saying our education system doesn’t have flaws etc but you need to calm down with the dramatics a little. State educated people aren’t all walking around licking windows waiting for private school educated people to puppeteer us.

You’re not doing us a favour by not using state education. If wealthy people had to use state education, they wouldn’t be so keen to vote conservative and see it fucked over. Likewise, private healthcare. If it didn’t exist, people in power would care a lot more about cancer waiting lists. Please don’t kid yourself that you’re being virtuous by letting us have the scraps from the table all to ourselves.

VAT and Charity status are completely different. 🙄

Not all schools are charities. Removing charitable status is extremely complex and will be tied up in the courts for years (at vast expense to the tax payer).

VAT is prohibited on education under EU law. Now, thanks to Brexit, the government can decide to change that.

However this may mean that we will all be paying VAT on nursery fees, university fees, piano lessons, dance classes, swimming lessons. Interesting to see what happens for specialist SEN schools where a lot of the time it's the local council paying the fees.

Once private schools can charge VAT to their end users, they will all be able to start reclaiming the VAT they have paid on their theatres, science blocks, swimming pools etc (some of the big names will be rubbing their hands - you can go back at least 4 years in terms of reclaims).

In the meantime, the state will need to find places for those children whose parents can no longer afford private schools (bit of a nightmare if schools go under and they have dozens to find places for suddenly).

A lot of women will go part-time or give up work if they're not having to find the money for fees or need more flexibility to provide all the extra curricular that private schools often supply on site. If it applies to nursery fees too, it may well not be worth going back to work at all for many.

Long term it will basically mean a postcode lottery where you pay for a house for a great school rather than pay fees.

OP, there a couple of other threads on this already.

The reason that Finland is well funded is because of parent pressure. That happens when all members of society have a vested interest in their local school.

Finland does have private schools.

Most don't charge for the core education - instead they are mainly selective via entrance tests and then charge for compulsory extras like afternoon activities. The International School in Helsinki is 16k euros a year...

I'm always staggered by people on high salaries displaying bonkers levels of logic.

I pay taxes. I don't have children so don't use the state school. Could I have something VAT free please too?

OP I don’t believe Labour will get in inthe next GE so just chill out. You’ll be fine.

There aren’t that many private schools and most students will continue to attend if VAT was introduced. A few will leave and there will be plenty of places for them in state schools.
“Scrimping and saving”. Really? I doubt you are scrimping and saving that much if you are higher rate tax payers. I am guessing you can still afford to heat your house and I doubt you are attending food banks to survive.
Move your children into state education.

Ok, I have read the responses. And no one seems to have answered this: how are state schools (that are literally crumbling due to RAAC) going to accommodate the influx of kids?

Oh and this is a populist measure. It will not improve social mobility in the UK. The vast majority of UK’s future PMs will probably still come from private schools, regardless of VAT.