Tax breaks for those paying for private education

[Sophia95]

I recently read a letter in our local paper from a couple saying they deserved tax breaks because they sent their kids to private schools and were 'relieving the system'. This really rattled me, but I am interested to know what other people think about this.

As a soon-to-be private school using parent, I don't think there should be a tax break.

If for any reason we couldn't afford to carry on sending DCs to private school (e.g. death of one of us etc) we would reasonably expect to put the DCs into the local state school so paying for that insurance. It would also be really nice not to have to use private education but our local school is beyond awful and has a serious bullying problem so not going there.

If the tax money helps improve schools generally though, good.

I've just posted a similar comment on the Tory Policy thread.

In Denmark, if you choose not to send your child to the excellent (20 kids in a class, MA qualified teachers) state school- you get an allowance towards the cost of a private school.

Not that I think that is workable here!

With others in that you'd get people bleating that they don't use the library, so they'd like a rebate for that, or they don't have a car, so don't want to pay for road repairs, or they're a pacifist, so shouldn't have to pay for defence.

It'd be never ending.

I also hear the argument every so often that "I don't have any children; why should I pay for schools?" (and that was from my pil...) Like they won't need the services of doctors, nurses, or any literate and numerate member of society in the future...

No. Tax receipts need to rise, not fall, to maintain (and I wish improve) state education not provide more diposable income to people who choose to use private education.

I agree with gramercy too, rather reluctantly though as we are committed (for various reasons) to educating our 3 children privately. At the last count we have 38 more YEARS of school fees to pay. Gives me sweaty palms just thinking about it.

Perhaps the estates of people who die without ever needing significant NHS treatment should get a tax refund too?

I've choosen not to have daily injections that cost the NHS a little under £60,000 a year. This would be sooo fantastic if I could get a tax refund for this!