Labour VAT raid on private school fees forces Scotland's largest private school which charges up to £20,000 a year to launch fundraising appeal
2 weeks, 2 days ago

Labour VAT raid on private school fees forces Scotland's largest private school which charges up to £20,000 a year to launch fundraising appeal

Daily Mail  

Scotland's largest private school is launching a fundraising appeal amid concern that Labour's VAT bill for fees will put pressure on parents to withdraw their children. A VAT rate of 20 per cent was added on January 1 to fees already increased last year for other reasons, fulfilling an election manifesto pledge by Labour. Lisa Kerr became the 300-year-old school's principal last year A general view of George Watson's College, Edinburgh Lisa Kerr, who became the 300-year-old school's principal last year, said 2025 had brought 'the reality of a new education tax and a very substantial and unexpected rise in employer National Insurance contributions'. Ms Kerr, previously principal at King's Charles's old school Gordonstoun, said that since joining George Watson's – which has almost 2,500 pupils – many parents had raised the issue of fee affordability.

Labour Pupils Private School Fundraising Appeal  schools  vat  pupils  scotlands  largest  forces  launch  fees  parents  private  school  support  principal  watsons  kerr  fundraising  raid  labour

History of this topic

Labour's 'destructive approach' to independent schools will not be looked on kindly by history after VAT tax raid, warns UK's most powerful education figures
5 days, 15 hours ago

Labour's 'destructive approach' to independent schools will not be looked on kindly by history after VAT tax raid, warns UK's most powerful education figures

Daily Mail  

One of the UK’s most powerful education figures has warned that history will not look kindly on the Labour Government for ‘its destructive approach to independent education’. Speaking yesterday, Philip Britton, incoming Chair of the HMC, hit out at the ‘enormous and damaging change’ caused by the VAT on school fees tax since it was imposed in January. Philip Britton …

Chancellor spending hundreds of thousands in legal fees defending her VAT raid on private school fees
1 week, 5 days ago

Chancellor spending hundreds of thousands in legal fees defending her VAT raid on private school fees

Daily Mail  

Rachel Reeves is spending hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees defending her controversial VAT on school fees policy, as an 'unprecedented legal challenge' looms. Parents opposed to the 20 per cent education tax are crowdfunding to enable them to launch next month's landmark case at the High Court, on behalf of their children who have Special Educational Needs. …

Labour's VAT tax raid on private schools is forcing most to cut staff, bursaries and subjects on offer while pupil numbers are already plunging, new figures show
1 week, 6 days ago

Labour's VAT tax raid on private schools is forcing most to cut staff, bursaries and subjects on offer while pupil numbers are already plunging, new figures show

Daily Mail  

Swathes of private schools are being forced to cut staff, reduce bursaries and narrow the range of subjects they teach in a bid to keep the books balanced following Labour's VAT raid on fees, a new poll shows. Swathes of private schools are being forced to cut staff, reduce bursaries and narrow the range of subjects they teach in a …

Labour MP: VAT charge on private schools could make elitist system more elitist
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Labour MP: VAT charge on private schools could make elitist system more elitist

The Independent  

Sign up to our free money newsletter for investment analysis and expert advice to help you build wealth Sign up to our free money email for help building your wealth Sign up to our free money email for help building your wealth SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Rupa Huq …

Labour's tax raid on private education set to claim another victim as independent school attended by Suella Braverman becomes latest to face closure
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Labour's tax raid on private education set to claim another victim as independent school attended by Suella Braverman becomes latest to face closure

Daily Mail  

A private school which charges £17,000-a-year and was attended by Suella Braveman is set to become the latest to face closure following Labour's VAT tax raid. St Hilda's Prep School for Girls, based in Bushey, Hertfordshire, said it was 'consulting' on a potential closure this summer following the government's bombshell plans to introduce a 20 per cent VAT rate on …

Inflation jumps to 10-month high, knocking chance of early interest rate cut
1 month, 1 week ago

Inflation jumps to 10-month high, knocking chance of early interest rate cut

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As a result, City traders reduced their bets on …

Phillipson dodges question on impact of private school tax raid
2 months, 1 week ago

Phillipson dodges question on impact of private school tax raid

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Bridget Phillipson failed to spell out the full impact of the …

Fury as a fifth of private schools are set to pass on Labour's punishing VAT raid on fees to parents - despite fears it will 'damage' children
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Fury as a fifth of private schools are set to pass on Labour's punishing VAT raid on fees to parents - despite fears it will 'damage' children

Daily Mail  

Private schools are set to pass on most of Labour's punishing VAT raid to parents despite fears it will 'damage' children. Analysis shows that half of the country's 2,600 independent schools are planning to hike fees by around 15 per cent, despite Treasury predictions. Labour's controversial move to apply 20 per cent VAT to private school fees was designed to …

The VAT ‘raid’ on private schools has finally made me proud to have voted Labour
Trending News
2 months, 3 weeks ago

The VAT ‘raid’ on private schools has finally made me proud to have voted Labour

The Independent  

Six months after the government’s historic landslide election victory, its controversial plan to put VAT on private school fees has come into effect. According to his chancellor, “ending the VAT break for private schools would mean an additional £1.7 billion a year that can go towards our state schools, where 94 per cent of this country’s children are educated”. A …

Private schools ‘to raise fees by more than Starmer predicted’ as controversial VAT policy imposed
Trending News
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Private schools ‘to raise fees by more than Starmer predicted’ as controversial VAT policy imposed

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Private schools are reportedly set to raise their fees by more …

Private schools issue damning warning over Labour's school VAT raid as controversial policy comes in
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Private schools issue damning warning over Labour's school VAT raid as controversial policy comes in

Daily Mail  

State and private schools will face 'significant damage' from Labour's tax raid on fees, teachers warned last night. On the eve of the policy's introduction last night, Independent Schools Council CEO Julie Robinson told the Mail that it would 'undermine' private education. 'The Government's rushed tax policy targeting independent schools will do significant damage to the educational opportunities available to …

Private school tax breaks ‘a luxury we cannot afford’, says education secretary
Top News
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Private school tax breaks ‘a luxury we cannot afford’, says education secretary

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Keir Starmer has promised to ‘give children the best start in …

Starmer’s VAT hike will leave some GCSE students without a school by January, warns council
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Starmer’s VAT hike will leave some GCSE students without a school by January, warns council

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has been forced to defend the policy …

UK to funnel £1.5 billion into public education with private school tax reform
Top News
2 months, 4 weeks ago

UK to funnel £1.5 billion into public education with private school tax reform

Live Mint  

The UK will end a tax exemption for private schools on Wednesday, the centre-left Labour government has announced, in a move set to raise over £1.5 billion for public education. After years of worsening educational inequalities, from January 1, private schools will have to pay 20 percent value added tax on tuition fees, which will be used to fund thousands …

School chiefs turn on Rachel Reeves after 'shameful' claim that VAT raid will give all children the 'best start'
2 months, 4 weeks ago

School chiefs turn on Rachel Reeves after 'shameful' claim that VAT raid will give all children the 'best start'

Daily Mail  

The Chancellor’s claim that taxing private school fees will give all children the ‘best start’ has been branded ‘shameful’. Rachel Reeves has insisted that £1.7 billion would be raised by the 20 per cent VAT imposed on private schools from New Year’s Day, in a press release celebrating Labour’s ‘plan for change’. As the surge in fees has seen thousands …

UK to tax private schools in £1.5 bn boost to public education
2 months, 4 weeks ago

UK to tax private schools in £1.5 bn boost to public education

Hindustan Times  

The UK will end a tax exemption for private schools on Wednesday, the centre-left Labour government has announced, in a move set to raise over £1.5 billion for public education. UK to tax private schools in £1.5 bn boost to public education After years of worsening educational inequalities, from January 1, private schools will have to pay 20 percent value …

Starmer’s VAT raid will ensure private schools become even more elitist
3 months ago

Starmer’s VAT raid will ensure private schools become even more elitist

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. For children like me, private schools …

Labour preparing for private school closures after VAT raid on fees, suggest reports
3 months ago

Labour preparing for private school closures after VAT raid on fees, suggest reports

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Contingency plans are underway in Whitehall for a surge in demand …

Families launch legal action over government’s private school fees VAT raid
3 months ago

Families launch legal action over government’s private school fees VAT raid

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Six families have launched a legal challenge against the government’s plan …

VAT changes for private schools could impact children’s mental health – Tory MP
4 months ago

VAT changes for private schools could impact children’s mental health – Tory MP

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Treasury minister James Murray said removing private schools’ exemption is “a tough but necessary …

After private-school tax raid Eton tells parents: We can't afford to drop our £63,000-a-year fees
4 months, 1 week ago

After private-school tax raid Eton tells parents: We can't afford to drop our £63,000-a-year fees

Daily Mail  

The new Provost of Eton College has admitted the historic school has faced multiple calls from parents to lower fees since it told them it was levying Labour’s full ‘private-school tax’ on them. Eton is one of the few leading public schools to pass the full burden of Labour’s controversial 20 per cent VAT raid on fees onto parents. Eton, …

Labour's tax raid on private tuition fees is left in CHAOS - as school heads have been unable to register for VAT on HMRC site
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Labour's tax raid on private tuition fees is left in CHAOS - as school heads have been unable to register for VAT on HMRC site

Daily Mail  

Labour's tax raid on private tuition fees is in disarray as school heads have been unable to register for VAT on the official UK tax website. It left schools spending hours trying to navigate the system via HMRC’s live webchat, with one adviser even admitting: ‘we don’t seem to have the systems in place’. Keir Starmer and the Labour party's …

More than 3,000 privately-educated pupils applied to join state schools between June and September as Labour's VAT tax raid forces parents to pay extra £2,000 on fees
4 months, 2 weeks ago

More than 3,000 privately-educated pupils applied to join state schools between June and September as Labour's VAT tax raid forces parents to pay extra £2,000 on fees

Daily Mail  

More than 3,000 private school pupils have already applied to join the state sector amid Labour's tax raid, new figures revealed today. Carrdus School, in Oxfordshire, which is owned by leading girls' school Tudor Hall, recently announced it will be closing its doors in the spring if it cannot find a buyer Critics of the policy, including Tory leader Kemi …

Private school closes because of Labour VAT and NI tax raids
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Private school closes because of Labour VAT and NI tax raids

The Telegraph  

If it closes next year, Carrdus will be the tenth school to shut since The Telegraph revealed the closure of Alton School in Hampshire in May. Increased tax burden Last week’s Budget confirmed that private schools would lose their VAT exemption and business rate relief, pushing up costs that will need to be passed on to parents via higher fees. …

Foreign Office asks private schools to offer discounted fees for diplomats' children following Labour's VAT raid
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Foreign Office asks private schools to offer discounted fees for diplomats' children following Labour's VAT raid

Daily Mail  

The Foreign Office has pleaded with private schools to offer discounted fees to diplomats’ children amid Labour’s tax raid. Private school fees will be subject to VAT from January when Labour ends an exemption for the provision of education, Rachel Reeves has said The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office government building on Whitehall in the Westminster district of London in …

Private school group to launch legal action over Government’s VAT plan on fees
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Private school group to launch legal action over Government’s VAT plan on fees

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A group representing more than 1,400 private schools will launch …

What is Labour’s controversial private school VAT raid policy?
4 months, 3 weeks ago

What is Labour’s controversial private school VAT raid policy?

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, …

What is ‘toddler tax’ that could see some parents paying VAT on nursery fees?
4 months, 3 weeks ago

What is ‘toddler tax’ that could see some parents paying VAT on nursery fees?

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In what has been branded the …

France and Germany slam Labour's VAT plan for private schools - and warn it could force hundreds of pupils out of international schools
4 months, 3 weeks ago

France and Germany slam Labour's VAT plan for private schools - and warn it could force hundreds of pupils out of international schools

Daily Mail  

France and Germany have attacked Labour's plan to levy VAT on private school fees, saying it could force hundreds of pupils out of international schools. French ambassador Hélène Duchêne warned the controversial tax raid threatened Sir Keir Starmer's attempt to 'reset' diplomatic relations between Britain and the EU Sir Keir plans to remove the VAT exemption on school fees from …

Military families set to be exempt from Labour’s controversial VAT on private school fees
5 months ago

Military families set to be exempt from Labour’s controversial VAT on private school fees

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Military families are set to be protected from Labour’s decision to …

Private school VAT raid may exempt military personnel’s children
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Private school VAT raid may exempt military personnel’s children

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The government’s private …

School VAT tax raid to go ahead in win for Bridget Phillipson
5 months, 2 weeks ago

School VAT tax raid to go ahead in win for Bridget Phillipson

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In response, the Treasury initially failed to confirm that the …

Private schools plan legal challenge against Starmer’s VAT raid
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Private schools plan legal challenge against Starmer’s VAT raid

The Telegraph  

Private schools are drawing up plans to launch a legal challenge against the Government’s VAT raid on school fees, The Telegraph can reveal. Private schools also want ministers to push back the implementation of the VAT policy from Jan 1 2025 to September next year. However, victory in the High Court would rubber-stamp private schools’ concerns that the policy is …

Head of Bedales school where Daniel Day Lewis, Kirstie Allsopp and Lily Allen were educated warns Labour's VAT raid on private school fees is 'levelling down'
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Head of Bedales school where Daniel Day Lewis, Kirstie Allsopp and Lily Allen were educated warns Labour's VAT raid on private school fees is 'levelling down'

Daily Mail  

Labour's plan to put VAT on private school fees amounts to 'levelling down', according to the headteacher of the famously 'progressive' Bedales School. Will Goldsmith said it was unfair to punish private schools for a lack of funding in the state sector, adding that cash raised by the tax is unlikely to make much difference. Will Goldsmith said it was …

Parents appalled after council asks those trying to move their children to state education from private schools to prove how poor they are
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Parents appalled after council asks those trying to move their children to state education from private schools to prove how poor they are

Daily Mail  

A council was forced to apologise for asking parents moving their child to a state school to provide evidence that they longer afford private school fees. Buckinghamshire Council had reportedly asked parents to prove their financial situation in order for their children to be considered for a state school place because schools 'are full'. Buckinghamshire Council was forced to apologise …

Eton 'to impose Labour's 20 per cent VAT rise in January's fees' with costs of attending 584-year-old school set to rise to £63,000 per year
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Eton 'to impose Labour's 20 per cent VAT rise in January's fees' with costs of attending 584-year-old school set to rise to £63,000 per year

Daily Mail  

Eton College will add the full 20 per cent VAT cost on to school fees when Labour’s policy is introduced, it has announced. We recognise the concern that will be felt by many parents following this announcement.’ Eton College will charge the full 20 per cent VAT on its school fees from January after Labour's policy is introduced Chancellor Rachel …

Government’s private schools VAT raid ‘could cost taxpayer £1.8bn’
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Government’s private schools VAT raid ‘could cost taxpayer £1.8bn’

The Telegraph  

The free market think tank looked at what would happen if two-fifths of money these parents earn or the hours they work specifically to cover school fees was instead taken as leisure. The study has been published as Ipsos polling for The Telegraph shows that while the public broadly supports the Government’s plan to hit school fees with 20 per …

Eton College tells parents fees likely to rise by 20% over Labour’s VAT plan
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Eton College tells parents fees likely to rise by 20% over Labour’s VAT plan

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Eton College will raise fees by 20% as a result …

Eton College to raise fees by 20% following Labour’s VAT on private schools
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Eton College to raise fees by 20% following Labour’s VAT on private schools

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Eton College will …

Eton to raise fees by 20pc amid Labour VAT raid
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Eton to raise fees by 20pc amid Labour VAT raid

The Telegraph  

Eton College will pass on 20 per cent VAT to parents in full from January, the school has announced. In the letter to parents, the school said that having “carefully considered the impact of the Government’s decision… from January 2025, we regret that the cost of an Eton education is likely to rise by 20 per cent as a result …

Biggest private girls’ school chain raises fees by 12pc over VAT raid
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Biggest private girls’ school chain raises fees by 12pc over VAT raid

The Telegraph  

The largest chain of private schools for girls in Britain has said it will hike fees 12 per cent from January when the Government will begin applying VAT to them. The Girls’ Day School Trust, a group of 23 top private schools in England and Wales, said it would not pass on the entire 20 per cent VAT charge to …

Private schools at risk of closure over VAT hike already face big budget shortfalls, says Phillipson
7 months, 1 week ago

Private schools at risk of closure over VAT hike already face big budget shortfalls, says Phillipson

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Private schools at …

Private school pupils could be forced to drop out part-way through the academic year due to Labour's plan to impose VAT on private school fees from January
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Private school pupils could be forced to drop out part-way through the academic year due to Labour's plan to impose VAT on private school fees from January

Daily Mail  

Private school pupils could be forced to drop out part-way through the academic year thanks to Labour slapping VAT on fees from January, experts warned. Private school pupils could be forced to drop out part-way through the academic year thanks to Labour slapping VAT on fees from January, experts warned Families have been told they face 'great disruption' following the …

Fury at Labour's 'politics of envy' as Chancellor Rachel Reeves announces she'll charge VAT on private school fees from January... with parents unable to 'pre-pay' to get around 20% hike
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Fury at Labour's 'politics of envy' as Chancellor Rachel Reeves announces she'll charge VAT on private school fees from January... with parents unable to 'pre-pay' to get around 20% hike

Daily Mail  

Rachel Reeves today faced claims she is pursuing the 'politics of envy' as she announced VAT will be charged on private school fees from January. Rachel Reeves today faced claims she is pursuing the 'politics of envy' as she announced VAT will be charged on private school fees from January The Chancellor confirmed Labour will push ahead with their controversial …

Fury as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson says parents were given 'ample warning' about Labour's VAT raid on private school fees
8 months ago

Fury as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson says parents were given 'ample warning' about Labour's VAT raid on private school fees

Daily Mail  

Labour stepped up its class war on private schools yesterday after the Education Secretary suggested VAT could be applied to school fees as early as January. Independent school groups branded Bridget Phillipson's plans 'needlessly disruptive' and said they could lead to parents having to withdraw their pupils in the middle of the school year. Independent school groups branded Bridget Phillipson's …

Labour private school VAT tax plan could come soon – what parents need to know
8 months ago

Labour private school VAT tax plan could come soon – what parents need to know

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Labour’s plan to end tax breaks for private schools could …

Phillipson blames private schools for ‘pricing out’ middle classes in row over VAT on fees
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Phillipson blames private schools for ‘pricing out’ middle classes in row over VAT on fees

The Independent  

Labour has hit back at criticism of its plans to impose VAT on private schools, blaming inflation-busting hikes in school fees over the years for “pricing out the middle classes”. “I just believe that we need to make sure we’re prioritising public money, and we shouldn’t be giving unjustified tax breaks to private schools, who are their own businesses and …

Labour to shut loophole in VAT raid on private school fees
9 months ago

Labour to shut loophole in VAT raid on private school fees

The Telegraph  

Asked on Thursday when private schools should expect the policy to land, Ms Phillipson said: “This will be subject to a process through the budget if we form the next government and I don’t want to get too ahead of myself here because I know we’ve got an election in a week’s time, and a lot of people need to …

Budget rules mean private schools VAT raid won’t start before Sept 2025, Labour insiders claim
9 months, 1 week ago

Budget rules mean private schools VAT raid won’t start before Sept 2025, Labour insiders claim

The Telegraph  

Despite the claims, tax experts have warned that Labour could apply the VAT raid to this academic year if they wanted. The Conservatives jumped on the development, claiming Labour would raise less money than claimed if the private school tax change does not happen in its first year in office. They have to come clean with the British people about …

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