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.

Maybe state school parents should use mumsnet in the way that you think private school parents are then.

Start your own threads and talk about the mass problem that is failing state schools. I see one poster (noblegiraffe?) doing just that and she often gets slated for it.

I wonder how many parents will be as happy to see vat applied to education on university fees.

I work in the public sector and will have to switch to being a contractor as will many of my friends in order to afford this increase.

If I was a wealthy grandparent, I’d be sad that you were worrying, thinking about moving grandchild and hadn’t already ask me to pay the short fall.

As someone who works in the tax and education industry it is thought that it will come in very quickly indeed (brought in by a mini budget immediately on Labour victory), that the ‘full’ rise would be 14-15% once VAT recovery available to schools is taken off and that there will be an exemption for SEN kids who have an EHCP which recommends this form of educational setting.

The irony of a parent who sends their child to a private school talking about inequality.

Cost of private education will increase more than VAT. Schools lose charity status, then paying VAT on other things that were previously exempt. Cost of running the school goes up.

Wondering how it all gets unwound - religious schools etc.

Sadly, they won’t raise too much additional VAT from parents as spending will just shift from shopping to school fees.
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Under VAT law in the UK, the provision of education by an “eligible body” (which includes a registered independent school) is an “exempt” supply for VAT purposes. Goods and services that are closely related to education are also exempt from VAT eg catering, transport, school trips and boarding accommodation.

And I cannot believe a poster stated kids were struggling for tampons! Every single educational establishment I have been to in the past 5 years has them coming out of their ears. Are they even a teacher???

Why would we have better education if, as people are saying, only 3-5% of people actually send their kids to private schools in the UK currently? And Labour will obviously lose a big chunk of revenue raised from the VAT to fund the Utopia we’ve all been promised, so aren’t going to be onboard with the Finland way.

So, let's get this straight - you've not witnessed it, so it's not happening?

This.

We’ll happily help our kids out in future, including paying for any grandchildren (if we have any) to go to private school if they choose that.

I’m not sure about her method of tax but she raises a valid point. The advantage of your local state school being the top of the league tables compared to the bottom of the league tables is VAST and this advantage has been bought by the wealthy too.

Why is it an awkward conversation?

None, but only the truly dense would compare the two.

I thought this was Mumsnet so there will be other mums in the same boat as the op.Do you go on every post and post this were you are not included or have you just seen your arse over private schooling.

It isn't a big problem in some areas but it will be in my area. One of our biggest private schools recently went bust which resulted in any last places in the remaining private schools being filled (there weren't many available) plus additional state school places. There are already portacabins in several local primary schools as the number of additional houses/flats also being built on top of those leaving the private school is putting so much pressure on.

My DS2 finishes this year, we have only managed this last 2 years of having a 10% increase per year instead of the usual 2/3 because DS1 finished 2 years ago so we only had 1 in school but no way could we afford a 20% increase. The school is already sowing the seed about the increase in each annual fee info letter to pre warn people just in case. We would have pulled our DC out straight away as we would have had no choice.

I just feel its wrong. My DC were not in state school due to specific additional needs, they had some scholarships for academic/sports but not bursaries so the fees were still a lot. We would have struggled for full fees anyway as whilst higher than average certainly not really high earners. There are loads of parents at my DCs school who are similar, or would struggle more. Those in private are not taking up a state place at however many thousands a year so I think it's a joke to be also charging VAT.

Like I said it won't affect me personally now anyway but I won't be voting Labour for this reason as well as so many other reasons. I cannot understand why anyone would think Starmer is an appropriate leader for this country. However, who the hell is there to vote for?

Because no private parent wants to admit that they aren’t wealthy enough to easily afford fees, plus all the extras, to other parents.

It almost sounds like you want us to feel sorry for you.

Happy to do that after the election when l hope there will be a government which will want to make those changes for the better.

Indeed. Maybe a few less holidays too. Ditch the hot tub.

Search her username. She’s a new poster and one who is apparently only here to bang the anti private school drum but can’t formulate any decent arguments of her own. So, she’s just resorting to spite 🤷‍♀️

Are you actually going to reply to any of the private school posters, or just the posters who agree with you?

Imagine being so consumed with bitterness that you click on every thread with clear titles - to say this doesn’t concern you.

It would be like going on a thread with Universal Credit in the title as a higher earner and breaking down how much of your taxes fund it.

Neither options are logical and make any sense. All that anger will manifest one way or another. Let it go. Not everyone had the same circumstances. This isn’t benefits net - not yet any way.

What’s with all the sneering and spite?

If the 20% increase makes it unaffordable then you can’t afford private school anyway - inflation busting increases mean you’d have been at a near 20% increase in 3 years anyway.

I work in a private school in the finance department. If we saw a decrease of 5% in pupil numbers I’d be surprised.

Most schools will at the very least offset the reclaim portion and therefore the increase is more likely to be in the order of 15%-17%

Most schools are planning some kind of bursary top-up to support the increase but the assumption will be you could afford the base fees.