Play date with mum who agrees with education tax

[BonnuitMy]

Please let me know if I’m overreacting. I recently overheard a new mum at school talking about a local private school closing down due to the education tax and how this is somehow a good thing. She’s now invited my DD for a play date, would you accept?

Ah yes, sorry I did know about it. I think that’s why lots of schools announced closure afterwards. Probably hoping for a last minute miracle. It's the right call, the Government should be able to tax as they see fit even if it’s completely non sensical as in this case.

I am a foster carer and most children we care for have to change schools as they are often placed in a different area to where they have previously lived. Although the children object to this and are nervous it is usually so well managed they settle into their new school very quickly. I am struggling to think of any child who did
not settle, maybe one girl of 11 took a month or so, but others a matter of days.

The schools are now unable to claim back the VAT. So the majority will probably pass that cost onto the parents/those paying the fees. It isn’t a separate ‘education tax’. But you know that, it just makes it sound worse to call it as such.

Private education is yes. I’m all for private education if the parent/carer can afford it, but it is a luxury yes

The schools are now unable to claim back the VAT.

You are clearly very confused. There is a difference between input VAT and output VAT.

Input VAT. The VAT that is paid by a business on its purchases. Private schools have been paying this long before the recent legislative change. They didn’t used to be able to reclaim it but now they can. Many private schools pay very little input VAT so won’t have much to reclaim. Their main cost base is staffing which obviously hasn’t attracted any input VAT. Wealthy schools with big capital expenditure (eg flash sports facilities) will be able to claim back much more input VAT than a school with more basic facilities and little expenditure beyond staffing.

Ouput VAT. The VAT that is charged by a business on the goods and services it provides. This is the VAT added onto school fees, which were previously VAT exempt. In the case of private schools, this VAT is paid for by those paying the fees (normally parents), not the schools themselves. This is a tax on education services so is very much a tax on education.

Great thread, OP: it's cheered up my day! Your posts are right to the point.

Shows the double standards and nastiness of so many with this policy. If the mother had been celebrating and revelling in eg imigrants being turned back at the border they would rightly feel repulsed by her lack of empathy and potentially refuse a playdate (even if they believed immigration should be reduced)

But because the VAT policy harms people they feel antipathy towards, an equivalent deep-seated nastiness is excused. Very enlightening.

Are you actually implying there is an equivalence between wealthy families having to pay more tax on a luxury service and desperate migrants from the worst countries in the world risking their lives to emigrate?! That they are both similarly deserving of sympathy?!

I'm saying that revelling in harm caused to someone shows a deep character flaw, and is deserving of condemnation: regardless of the person. Do you not think so?

Let's not get derailed into whether a young, male Albanian illegally 'risking' migration for economic benefit is more or less deserving of empathy than a UK doctor educating their child at their own expense to avoid chaotic schools in a community they've moved to serve shall we?

The harm from a school move is really not in the same league as having to flee your home country.

No, but the nastiness in revelling in someone having to do either shows a similar character flaw.

I was quite indifferent to this policy and felt sympathy for those hit with a new tax bill as a business owner taxed left right and centre myself but the response from some private school parents to it has blown my mind.

So I should have sent her to a school that wouldn't suit her when we had an option not to do that?
As for "solving the issue" I am not sure how I was supposed to do that

I was quite happy for the high amounts of tax I pay to benefit others in society, but the response from some anti-private people wishing harm on my DC has blown my mind.

This Labour-created culture war has been enormously damaging to the UK. Even before the policy costs them money.

No one is wishing harm on your dc. Luxuries, like private education, rightly now attract vat. We also pay high levels of tax, we would expect to pay vat if we chose private education. I think parents of those in private education already seem to think they are the only ones paying high levels of tax. That is simply not true.

I agree it’s unkind and unpleasant to be glad about children having to move school and it would put me off someone as a friend but I wouldn’t prevent my child playing with their child for this reason.

Also the dramatics from some of the affected parents about this policy is actually embarrassing. Especially painting themselves as some sort of oppressed group. Cringe.

This entire thread is about the OP asking whether she should avoid a playdate where the parent has celebrated harm to private school children.

Most posters have excused the mother's poor character, with 'private school bad' so harm is justified, and it's fine to celebrate it.

We all have our opinions on what is embarrassing.

So what level of poor character would be sufficient for you to question whether to go ahead with a playdate? Celebrating harm to other groups of people? But those nasty private school kids - well, they don't matter.

Luxuries, like private education, rightly now attract vat.

Yet another misconception. Whether or not a decent education should ever be viewed as a luxury is irrelevant. VAT is not a tax on luxuries. There is VAT on toilet paper but not caviar for example.

I read that article in The Guardian too, it's a pretty weak argument.

I don’t know which article you’re referring to but I’m merely stating a fact in response to your incorrect comment that “Luxuries, like private education, rightly now attract vat.”. It’s factually incorrect.

Are all the parents who were taken aback at this child's mum's reaction to the closing of a private school going to forbid their children from playing with her daughter?

Surely you can disagree with what she said and think that she is spiteful without preventing a friendship between her child and your daughter?

But this thread isn't really asking whether VAT on education is a good policy.

It's asking whether to reconsider a playdate where the parent has celebrated harm to a group of children.

And most posters seem to be saying that they wouldn't give it another thought - so long as it was a group of children they didn't like.

It's really not that harmful to move schools. It's a little sad that a school had to close, but it really isn't the same as wishing harm.

Quite
I genuinely hope the VAT I now pay on school fees is channelled into State schools. No issue with it at all. I also don't agree with Private Schools being charities
However, anyone being gleeful about schools closing or kids having to change schools due to finances can just F right off. Its unpleasant to take joy in the sadness of others and while the kids will be ok in the end I am sure, there is no need for smugness around it.