Election - how soon for VAT on school fees?

[Labtastic]

So I see we're likely to have an election in early July. Obviously that spells the end of the godawful tories which is great, but also hastens the incoming VAT on school fees which, for us, is bad. We are one of those families that no one believes exists who stretch ourselves with school fees, and are going to be very pushed for an extra 20%.

Question is - do we think Labour can make this happen in time for September? It'll be our DC's last year of fee paid education and was hoping the timeline for VAT coming in would be stretched out a bit...

Except each child moving from private to state costs the taxpayer money.
If 5% of private kids move to state it will cost the state £200 million per year plus the loss of VAT. If 10% move it will be £ 400 million. So far the forecast is around 7-10% expected to leave.
Many LAs through FOI are already identifying they have zero places available so how will they accommodate these private kids?

Using private schools SAVES the state 7-8K per pupil per year.

I think it is a massive reach to assume that everyone is going to give up work because they are no longer paying school fees. It is a very short-sighted approach, particularly if you are in an established and well-paid career job. The university years come round very quickly and they are just as expensive as school fees, if not more.

I said reduce their hours - not give up work.

RTFT. People are (somewhat dramatically) saying that droves of parents will leave the workforce. I'll believe when I see it.

You just completely misquoted what I said so fully entitled to correct you!

No-one said droves but there certainly will be some parents who pull their DC out of private and then be able to stop working. I would be one of those. My wage covers fees + 2nd car

This would be the case entering at reception and year 7, and at other transitions too, depending on your area. If you're moving schools between these times it harder. You have to apply for schools with places, no matter where they are, wait for a place which might never come or appeal which is unlikely to be successful. The schools with places tend to be schools in bad areas some of which can be excellent, bad schools in good areas or schools with a bit of an image problem ( improved schools with a name for being awful). I moved my privately schooled daughter to the latter a few years ago due to quite severe bullying and it's been the best decision I've ever made. She's thriving and they're fantastic compared to her old, very imposing independent school.

Go back to work when they start uni, keep up with your CPD! I left a lucrative career took 5 years out, within 12 months was back earning (and then some) on what I earned.

They may be able to stop working but whether they choose to is an entirely different matter. They will most likely be factoring in significant top-up tutoring costs and extracurriculars to make sure they are on a state + pathway. Unless their DC are very little, they really ought to be thinking ahead to University as that is a very expensive time in many cases. A longer range perspective is usually much better than knee jerk reaction.

Tell Labour that! They aren't using a long range view

‘RTFT. People are (somewhat dramatically) saying that droves of parents will leave the workforce. I'll believe when I see it.’

Tory voters are so full of shite! Over run with immigrants, posh kids stealing all the good school places, unemployment blah blah blah

After 14 years of self serving liars in charge, we’re ready for a change

You have no clue whatsoever on the range of their views. They have not even published a manifesto yet and this (perhaps) is just one of Labour's hypothetical policies.

That is effectively suggesting that 94% of parents are useless. I’m not sure I agree with that.

Would you work faced with a marginal tax rate of 62% (71% if you have student loans) to earn money you no longer need or would you maybe drop to 4 days or pay more into a pension thereby paying a lot less income tax without hugely impacting your take home pay?

Yes but I love my job.

What tutoring are you paying VAT on?

My taxes entitle my 5 daughters to attend state school. I happen to choose to send them to a private school. Fortunate for our local schools to not have the burden of 5 additional children.

In not going to give you exact details of my children's schools for obvious reasons however so far as to say they are in an urban area. Aswell as a parent, I am one of the governors at the school. As an individual or club you are able to hire facilities, However there is an agreement in place for specific schools to use our faxilities for free, and no they do not have facilities I've listed. I'm sure village schools or less urban schools are well catered for.

If VAT comes in I will be looking to move my DC to state school at the next transition point. Once they are in state school I will be leaving my specialist nhs role and I will find a less stressful, lower-paying job outside the nhs doing fewer hours. My salary pays the school fees but I can’t earn any more in the current role so an additional 20% on fees will tip the balance and we will move to state education. So the government loses my taxes and pays for DC’s education and the nhs loses my skills.

We have a state school place lined up for September. We are still on the fence as to whether to move our son. If we do I will
immediately increase my pension contributions to take my salary down to £49k. That will result in a loss of about £15k tax to the Goverment plus the school place at £7k and I will be able to claim child benefit which is another £2k (I have two kids and one is already in state). So it will be about a £24k net loss to the Government.

There are a huge number of hard-working families who stretch themselves to put their children through private school, some like us due to SEND issues. This policy will catch a lot of ill-deserving families in its net as well as families to whom it will make very little difference.

I am in the same boat with the difference being that my children will be moving irrespective of the VAT decision. The threat of it forced us to make a decision and we have moved into catchment ahead of secondary before house prices surge further.

I am a doctor who pays tax at the highest rate - I will be dropping my hours to half taking me out of that rate entirely and have a far less stressful life once the secondary years begin. We are one of multiple families in our prep school who have made this decision - cost of living and above inflation fee rises had made it a consideration then threat of vat sealed the deal.

https://www.asian-voice.com/News/UK/EDUCATION-PRIVILEGE-OR-RIGHT

I hear you.

We live in a very very small house near our DC fee paying school. The state schools round us are frankly awful. One is half closed down / literally mothballed. All are full.

Anyway. When VAT comes in we will find a state school place and I will drop my NHS hugely. I won’t need to work as many hours anymore thank god.

I’ll pay less tax, use up a school space and the NHS will be down 30hrs on my skills.

what a brilliant policy this is.

Can you please email Keir Starmer with your intentions it’s falling on deaf ears.

There are lots of things going on behind the scenes but we need every parent who is worried about this to do the following:

• write to your MP. ENT group have exemplar letters
• sign the petition