Read this an tell me you still agree with VAT on school fees

[Sally20099]

DS is 3 years from finishing private school which includes 2 years in the sixth form. DD was due to start same senior school in Sept. Both went to private prep but due to talk of VAT on fees, and certainty of Labour govt for some time, we actually investigated sending DD to state secondary school. Only one in the entire city is rated outstanding but DD has got a place so we have decided to send her there. It’s very good academically but obviously hasn’t got the facilities of the private option. Currently school fees are £19,300 per year (before VAT) for DS so we have saved a reasonable sum by going to state school with DD. DS will finish at his school and we could afford DD fees (even with VAT) so we will instead put £12k a year extra in savings for DD and then spend the rest of the savings on an extra winter holiday. We would have never looked at state schools without the VAT policy and instead we have taken the place of someone at an outstanding rated school. Im not posting to annoy anyone, I wanted those who unequivocally support this to see some of the consequences. We also know a reasonable number of children in DS year who can’t afford fees with VAT and are taking their children out of private and going into state - and taking more places at the limited good schools. Its probably no surprise that most families in private schools happen to also live in good areas, meaning catchment areas tend to work out quite well when they go state.

Nope - private schools aren't charities, and should be liable to VAT. There are also kids living in abject poverty in this country, who don't have the privilege your children do.

No, you are wrong. Around 50 percent of private schools in UK have the status of charities.
Until now they were exempt of VAT but now they will not be . Charities do have an income in case you are not aware.

Clearly those private school kids deserve what's coming to them.

You can say it about their parents but it is a very insensitive to say that in reference to the kids.

Yes exactly, and nurseries and universities aren’t charities and should have VAT added. There are children in this country who can’t read or write, why should others have the privilege of university?

’you can say this about their parents’

What?!?

Because uni admissions are based on your ability to do the course and not your ability to pay even if there is no way on gods earth you could successfully complete the course..?

what an odd comparison.

You aren’t getting admitted onto a uni course if you can’t afford the tuition fees and pretty much every private school has entrance exams and scholarship/bursaries for those who can’t afford it, seems quite an apt comparison to me. Nurseries have no entrance exams and cost more than most prep schools. Think of the tax money we can bring in, there are children not regularly eating breakfast in this country.

Absolute bxxxxx!

No one pays back a penny of their tuition fees until they start earning £25k p.a.

Nothing to do with being able to afford the 'fees.

Practically no one gets a full bursary, majority might get a 10 to 25% reduction.

Good points but not related to what I wrote.
You aren’t doing a uni course unless you pay the tuition fees, this is a fact and I don’t think worth debating. Obviously you can chose a loan to cover anything. How is this an argument for certain education services being exempt from labours education tax? There are homeless people in this country.

What is it that you don't understand? Do you think the sentence that the children deserve what they get is fair? I don't. If she believes so she can only say that about adults ( parents).
Please use better way of expressing your surprise or not understanding than " what?!"

She might end up dropping her h’s,saying fing, or speaking fluent estuary.

On a positive note OP when she applies to University being a state educated pupil will stand her in good stead and give her street cred. Just watch out where she goes for her gap year.

@thefireplace
Practically no one gets a full bursary, majority might get a 10 to 25% reduction.

At the school which your kids attend? What exactly are you reffering to? Surely it is not what you think about all private schools. ?

About the first sentence- I hope it is a joke

But there are also non fee paying pre schools and childcare facilities that will accept the children.

Sorry, it wasn’t very clear. The ‘what’ was referring to the ‘’you can say this about their parents’ when referring to them deserving what was coming. Better than saying it about the children but still pretty out there, I think it also reveals the attitude behind this policy.

Shame on Labour!!!

Exactly, so why should the privileged people sending their children to fee paying nurseries not pay VAT? If they can afford them, then they can afford an extra 20%.

I’m only playing devils advocate, I don’t believe the U.K. should introduce ANY education tax, it’s very damaging for a country. You can see how the argument can be applied to anything though, ‘you can afford it, stop being selfish, your kids can move schools, if the school closes you can find another, don’t you care about other children etc’ . Introducing a discriminatory education tax such as what is being proposed will fall foul of the ECHR, it will be across the board or not at all and Labour know this. My worry is it will be across the board as Labour are into some pretty wacky ideas. I’d get out of the country TBH if that happens.

You’re not not sending your daughter to private school because you can’t afford it due to VAT. You’re not sending her because you’ve decided a state school is just as good. And you think that’s a reason VAT shouldn’t be implemented. Because it took the introduction of it to make you have a thought?

Make it make sense

with your levels of logic I’m wondering if your kids would actually get into a private school….😬

I think she can believe what she wants about parents but targetting some sort of pubishment at poor kids is simply immoral.

Introducing a discriminatory education tax
...the division of school for private for those who can afford and state for those who cannot is highly discriminatory as there is no sure path in life to earn big money and is mostly a matter of circumstances and luck.

What punishment, the private school are stil there? They can adjust to support their own school community surely?

If course there actually are poor kids in the UK but by definition they won’t be in private education.

I haven't read this whole thread but saw comments from people saying they were fed up with subsidising private schools, referring to charitable status etc etc. It just shows a total lack of understanding. The only subsidising is from the higher rate tax payers who pay for state education (which they don't then use if they use private school) - not the other way round!

After all of the vitriol it would be interesting to see the small minority who pay the majority of tax (and more tax than ever) leave this country, cut their hours or leave highly skilled jobs - and see what impact that has on this country. It's like turkeys voting for Christmas.

I really can’t imagine these super highly paid individuals who would be such a loss to the country if they left are going to struggle to find an extra 20% to pay on school fees. Such hyperbole! And we expect responsible schools not to pass on the full 20% as well.

Yes, I completely agree. The top 10% in the U.K. pay 60% of the income tax, actively discouraging these people from remaining in the country is madness. The rhetoric has already pushed some of my daughters classmates to make the move, they were considering it anyway but it was the final push. It wouldn’t be an easy option for us right now and it’s highly unlikely this will be implemented, but we are asking ourselves can you really stay in a country that is actively trying to make your children’s lives harder and encouraging derision towards them? Our children are the main reason we work so hard.

@Upupandaway55 "After all of the vitriol"

I can only remember one piece of vitriol-and it was from an anti VAT poster, characterising state school kids as unintelligent thugs. It was very quickly deleted. I hope you report any you see so it gets deleted too. What sort of things have you seen?