If you’re charged VAT will you remove your child from their private school? I’m v stressed!

[Liikklu]

We won’t be able to pay the increase. Only hope is asking grandparents for the shortfall which we don’t want to do. Anyone else in a similar boat? Do you think it will literally be a 20% increase on fees or will schools absorb some of it? Our school has said they will address the matter ‘if and when’ it applies.

The MFL argument is valid. It’s generally woeful. I am opposed to private schooling, but as someone who loves languages that is the one argument I see. My DS is doing three sciences and further maths (astronomy is also an option) at his undersubscribed comp and all comps have a 3 science option here. You must see though you are buying a service to give your children a better experience and enhanced future chances. This is not something a charitable tax break should apply to. Stepping back and looking objectively I’m surprised more can’t see that. I support a tax break supporting poor or disadvantaged. I do not support one for services provided to better off families. It’s a no brainer. You’ll still be able to buy a good education.

We saved a modest amount from earnings. Took a risk 20 years ago and invested it in young tech companies. No inheritance or family money.

We will do everything we can to find the money so we can keep our daughter where she is settled. I am not sure what we will cut though. We already live pretty frugally. One five year old car (bought outright before our mortgage more than doubled) and one eleven year old car. Our holidays this year will be a weekend camping in the U.K. and a long weekend at a family member's house in France so we only need to pay for Ryanair flights. We rarely eat out or have a takeaway. A few days ago I was sewing up holes in clothes and I can't remember the last time I bought something because I wanted rather than needed it.

A few years ago I had 5k a month to spare/save. But the COL hit and everything went up massively. At the same time I got pushed out of my job and am building up my own business, so income has gone down. It is now really tight.

So education is a luxury and gambling isn't?
There are no tax loopholes with regards to private education ycation. Simply put, when we were in the EU no-one could tax education because it is illegal to do so, the EU value education.
Every child in private education saves the state 7-8K per year so please can you explain how this is a tax loophole?
In addition, many private parents are higher rate tax payers so contribute more to state funding.

Which was fact checked to not actually be to do with a possible VAT increase at all, but due to falling numbers generally, falling numbers in faith schools and cost of living now.

Falling numbers in general is something that all schools have to cope with, state schools receive less funding despite many costs being constant (heating, buildings etc). A number of schools in my area have made redundancies already, and are not replacing staff. Teachers aren't going on courses the same (not ideal in the long run) because schools can't afford the cost or the supply cover. This isn't in the news because it doesn't affect the children of the editors of the press.

Private health care doesn’t have VAT applied, if such a move were made, maybe one should receive a self-fund credit for that also. Fundamentally, you are trying to squeeze more from those who already pay their (and their families) way. It’s unfair and unjust.

I have never used, or been a pupil at a private school and would never be able to afford it but I really don't get this policy and it comes across as a nasty, spiteful policy which will just result in more costs for the taxpayer and more pressure on state schools. Private school parents will already be paying lots of tax to fund the state schools their children don't go to as well as private school fees. It's very rare for a policy to actually do what politicians think it will do and I imagine it will bring in a lot less money because of an exodus of private school pupils into state schools who will they have to find the money (taxpayer will end up out of pocket).

Besides, as someone above has highlighted, Keir Starmer is the type of champagne socialist who can easily afford to live in a nice, middle class area with million plus houses and send his kids to the nice, middle class school where all the other very rich people with million pound houses send their kids to school so they don't actually have to mix with the riff-faff but still claim they are left-wing/socialists. It's such a cliche.

Please can you explain exactly what you mean by a tax break? How can savings the state money be a tax break?

Yes we f*ing do, I'm on the finance committee, I should know what we get - the NFF is a recommendation, our LA is one that significantly differs from their recommendations.

So stop telling me what we do and don't get, right!!

We’re fortunate we’re at the end in 6th form so will just suck it up. But, if this was 12 yrs ago, we’d have moved to the doorstep of the best state we could have found, so private by postcode. And I’d have most likely given up work which I do to pay two sets of school fees, we would have been fine with just DH’s income so that would be a good chunk of income tax lost to HMRC…I think this is a policy designed to sound good, but the reality is it’ll gain the taxpayer nothing.

Because every other luxury is charged at 20%. Suck it up.

The only services which don’t pay vat are charitable. Public schools originally didn’t pay tax because they served the poor. This is not the case now - you’re buying a service so you pay the vat like any other service.

So many MN’ers who can’t appear to do basic sums. It’s actually scary, no wonder Brexit got through when people are unable to see basic propaganda ruses - set up by desperate and wholly inadequate politicians. It’s a sad indictment of our post-factual and uneducated society.

So education is a luxury but gambling isn't?
You realise VAT isn't a luxury tax?!

It isn't a "tax loophole" - we all pay tax already. I'm all for taxing the millionaires and billionaires who hide wealth. Parents trying to educate their children because the state schools can't cater for them should not be being penalised.

If Starmer won't send his kids to a comp, why should anyone else?

Your grammar school gets three times the funding of every other school. You can see why I'm cynical. Perhaps you could provide some evidence.

You do not pay VAT on private medicine?

Many people are near bad schools and can't choose private. Having that choice to make is a massive privilege.

Public schools are different to independent schools.

Keir Starmer’s children go to a state school.

I am also a teacher and would not dream of posting something so horrible to worried parents. 🙄

Exactly.

And don't get me started on some so-called charities, there are many who only serve the wealthy and fail the public benefit test. Labour could have gone a lot harder on them in 2006 but bowed to pressure from the sharp-elbowed. I hope they are coming for them this time.

A state school in a catchment area where the houses average £2 million. Not exactly the same as your big standard comp is it? Tell me that Starmer isn't buying privilege for his kids?!

All of this sadly.

The idea that everyone sending their children to private school for a better experience, higher grades, privileged networks etc are doing the rest of us a favour is mad. My DC, just as deserving, will need to compete with that without any of the advantages your DCs had. That’s fine, we made our choices. But you pay VAT like any other services. Why don’t you have higher expectations of your schools’ ability to make cuts? Why do you think state schools can do that. It private can’t?