UK to funnel £1.5 billion into public education with private school tax reform
Top News
1 week, 4 days 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 of new teachers and improve standards in state schools. Tuition fees in private schools already average £18,000 a year, according to the Independent Schools Council, which represents private schools. Several research centres also point out that the disparity between private and state schools widened sharply under the 14-year Conservative rule.

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History of this topic

The VAT ‘raid’ on private schools has finally made me proud to have voted Labour
Trending News
1 week 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
1 week, 1 day 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 …

Starmer defends controversial private schools VAT policy by arguing it will benefit middles classes
Trending News
1 week, 2 days ago

Starmer defends controversial private schools VAT policy by arguing it will benefit middles classes

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. Over the weekend, education secretary Bridget Phillipson called tax exemptions for private schools “a luxury …

Private school tax breaks ‘a luxury we cannot afford’, says education secretary
Top News
1 week, 3 days 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 …

School chiefs turn on Rachel Reeves after 'shameful' claim that VAT raid will give all children the 'best start'
1 week, 4 days 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
1 week, 4 days 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 …

Labour preparing for private school closures after VAT raid on fees, suggest reports
2 weeks 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
2 weeks, 4 days 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 …

Parents Struggle as Government Fails to Control School Fees
2 weeks, 6 days ago

Parents Struggle as Government Fails to Control School Fees

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: Parents in Hyderabad are feeling the pinch as nursery admissions for the next academic year get underway. “If this is how much we’re paying now, what’s next?” In May 2024, erstwhile principal secretary of the education department Burra Venkatesham announced plans to regulate school fees following mounting complaints from parents. The government also hinted at introducing a special law …

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
1 month, 3 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
1 month, 4 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
2 months 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. …

Labour wants to abolish private schools ‘by the back door’, headteacher claims
2 months ago

Labour wants to abolish private schools ‘by the back door’, headteacher claims

The Telegraph  

Labour’s real aim is to abolish private schools “by the back door”, the headteacher of a leading independent school has said in an outspoken attack on Sir Keir Starmer’s VAT and National Insurance increases. He warned that Labour’s policy agenda would require further tax rises to compensate for stagnating economic growth “and schools like mine will become over-elitist, not through …

Many children remain out of school despite RTE Act: Report
2 months ago

Many children remain out of school despite RTE Act: Report

The Hindu  

Even after 14 years of the enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009,, not all children are attending schools, revealed a status report titled “Implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009: Where do we stand.” This was released by the Right to Education Cell and the Council for …

Will the NHS make the most of its extra £26bn?
2 months ago

Will the NHS make the most of its extra £26bn?

The Independent  

If national insurance were a hypothecated tax, as originally intended, the link between paying it and getting its benefits would be clearer. What is so sad about the knee-jerk reaction of the NHS to the rise in employer national insurance contributions is the warning it gives about where the extra £26bn from the chancellor will go. Huzaifa Talib Khety Address …

Private school group to launch legal action over Government’s VAT plan on fees
2 months, 1 week 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?
2 months, 1 week 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, …

Private schools warn sector could ‘fall apart’ if hit by national insurance and VAT tax blow
2 months, 1 week ago

Private schools warn sector could ‘fall apart’ if hit by national insurance and VAT tax blow

The Independent  

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£1.4 billion to fix ‘crumbling’ schools as Reeves pledges to prioritise education and free childcare in Budget
2 months, 1 week ago

£1.4 billion to fix ‘crumbling’ schools as Reeves pledges to prioritise education and free childcare in Budget

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 Rachel Reeves has announced she will earmark £1.4 billion to rebuild …

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

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

Prove you can’t afford private school fees, council asks parents
4 months ago

Prove you can’t afford private school fees, council asks parents

The Telegraph  

Parents have been asked to provide evidence they can no longer afford private school fees to secure a place at a state school. However, if you can provide evidence that you can no longer finance the independent school fees, please advise and we can make a local authority non-preference allocation.” Councils must not ask for parents’ financial status All children …

Thousands of armed forces families depend on help into private schools. Labour's VAT raid plan threatens to hit their children hard, writes LORD KEMPSELL
4 months ago

Thousands of armed forces families depend on help into private schools. Labour's VAT raid plan threatens to hit their children hard, writes LORD KEMPSELL

Daily Mail  

From Cyprus to Somalia, South Sudan to the Falklands, British military personnel are deployed 24/7 around the world to safeguard our national interests. They fight bloodthirsty terrorists and intercept international organised criminals Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson leaves 10 Downing Street More than 4,000 military children receive support for their private education …

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
4 months, 1 week 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’
4 months, 1 week 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
4 months, 1 week 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
4 months, 1 week 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 …

Biggest private girls’ school chain raises fees by 12pc over VAT raid
4 months, 1 week 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
4 months, 3 weeks 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 …

Fury as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson says parents were given 'ample warning' about Labour's VAT raid on private school fees
5 months, 2 weeks 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
5 months, 2 weeks 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
6 months, 1 week 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 …

Budget rules mean private schools VAT raid won’t start before Sept 2025, Labour insiders claim
6 months, 2 weeks 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 …

Want your child to go to Eton? Get ready to pay $13,000 more each year
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Want your child to go to Eton? Get ready to pay $13,000 more each year

CNN  

London CNN — Private schools in Britain conjure up images of rolling lawns, pristine tennis courts, and dormitory rooms, serving as gilded hothouses of privilege. “In our state secondary schools, we’ve got thousands of teachers missing in the subjects that we need,” Labour leader Keir Starmer said on Sky News television earlier this month. “Let’s take maths: too many students… …

The real losers from Labour’s VAT raid on private schools? The children
7 months ago

The real losers from Labour’s VAT raid on private schools? The children

The Independent  

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about …

Labour’s VAT raid will lead to ‘McDonaldsisation’ of education
7 months ago

Labour’s VAT raid will lead to ‘McDonaldsisation’ of education

The Telegraph  

Labour’s plans to charge VAT on private schools could lead to the “McDonaldisation” of education if schools are forced to make drastic cost cuts, a headteacher has warned. The head of a £22,000-a-year prep school in the West Midlands said Labour’s proposal to add 20 per cent tax on private schools could force them to slim down their curricula and …

Second private school blames Labour’s tax raid for closure
7 months, 1 week ago

Second private school blames Labour’s tax raid for closure

The Telegraph  

It comes after Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said that many private schools have “pleaded poverty and say people will be priced out” by the proposals. Mr Streeting said on BBC Question Time on Thursday: “I say to the headteachers, you’re going to have to cut your cloth accordingly like state schools have had to.” Downham charges £7,800 a …

Average private school fees soar to more than £18,000 a year
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Average private school fees soar to more than £18,000 a year

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 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. The concern is palpable Julie …

Labour’s private schools tax plans ‘blamed for fall in entries’
7 months, 4 weeks ago

Labour’s private schools tax plans ‘blamed for fall in entries’

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 planned tax on private schools has been blamed for …

State schools unprepared for flood of pupils sparked by Labour’s VAT raid
8 months, 2 weeks ago

State schools unprepared for flood of pupils sparked by Labour’s VAT raid

The Telegraph  

State schools are not prepared for the “influx” of pupils that would stem from Labour’s VAT raid on private education, government sources have warned. The opposition’s plans are prompting warnings of an unsustainable “influx” of children into the state system, while new figures show councils across the country have at least one year group with no remaining places despite a …

Parents say private school fees up by 30% in Karnataka, struggle to cope
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Parents say private school fees up by 30% in Karnataka, struggle to cope

New Indian Express  

BENGALURU: With the new academic year just around the corner, parents are facing the brunt of increased fees which has seen a hike in double digits since the Covid-19 pandemic. A survey conducted by Local Circles revealed that in Tier-1 and 2 cities, the annual all-inclusive fees of premier private schools range between Rs one lakh and Rs 4 lakh …

50% Parents Say Their Child’s School Hiked Fees by More Than 30% in Last Two Years: Survey
9 months, 2 weeks ago

50% Parents Say Their Child’s School Hiked Fees by More Than 30% in Last Two Years: Survey

News 18  

Around 50% respondents to a LocalCircles survey said the school their children go to has increased the fees by 30% or more in the last two years. Around 8% of the parents surveyed said the fees was hiked by more than 50% over the last two years, while 42% parents reported an increase of 30-50%. “To sum up, 1 in …

Labour's planned tax raid on private schools would 'cost more than it saves' for the education system, report warns
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Labour's planned tax raid on private schools would 'cost more than it saves' for the education system, report warns

Daily Mail  

Labour would 'damage' the education system with its proposed tax raid on private schools – which would cost the taxpayer £1.6billion a year, a think-tank has warned. Sir Keir Starmer's party wants to introduce VAT on independent school fees, claiming it would generate £1.7billion to spend on state education. Sir Keir Starmer's party wants to introduce VAT on independent school …

Labour’s private school tax raid ‘could cost taxpayer £1.6bn a year’
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Labour’s private school tax raid ‘could cost taxpayer £1.6bn a year’

The Telegraph  

Labour’s private school tax raid could cost the taxpayer £1.6 billion a year if it forces a quarter of pupils into the state sector, a new report has found. Sir Keir Starmer’s party has made introducing VAT on independent school fees a flagship policy, claiming it would generate £1.7 billion to spend on state education. In its report, titled Short …

Labour's plan to slap VAT on school fees is a tax on aspiration. I know because my mum worked three jobs to pay for my education, writes INAYA FOLARIN IMAN
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Labour's plan to slap VAT on school fees is a tax on aspiration. I know because my mum worked three jobs to pay for my education, writes INAYA FOLARIN IMAN

Daily Mail  

You don't have to be a Left-wing firebrand to feel a twinge of unease as you stroll past the gates of Eton College in Windsor, where annual fees total £50,000. Inaya Folarin Iman's mother, Bola, worked multiple jobs, including night shifts in the care sector, to pay for independent primary schools in Kent Inaya Folarin Iman says she experienced British …

'Inequality in funding' driving public school exodus as private schools continue to lift enrolments
10 months, 3 weeks ago

'Inequality in funding' driving public school exodus as private schools continue to lift enrolments

ABC  

In short: Enrolments at private schools are growing at a faster rate than those at public schools, despite interest rate rises and cost of living pressures. Meanwhile, public schools grew by just 0.3 per cent, a small improvement from last year when public school enrolments actually fell. In the five years to 2023, independent school enrolments grew by 14 per …

Labour will close potential ‘VAT loophole’ for private school fees
1 year ago

Labour will close potential ‘VAT loophole’ for private school fees

The Telegraph  

Some schools have told parents that they could sidestep paying VAT under a possible future Labour government by paying for years of their child’s education in advance, before the new legislation came in. ‘A clear attempt to exploit stereotypes’ Responding to Labour’s plans for private school fees, David Woodgate, the chief executive of the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association, said: “The …

Private schools offer 'pay now' option in attempt to dodge Labour VAT raid
1 year, 2 months ago

Private schools offer 'pay now' option in attempt to dodge Labour VAT raid

The Telegraph  

Leading private schools are offering parents a “pay now” option to save money on Labour’s planned VAT charge on fees. The Sunday Times reported that schools were telling parents that existing schemes which allow them to pay fees for several years in advance could avoid the tax rise. “We did not encourage parents to use the scheme and we did …

Parents like private school vouchers so much that demand is exceeding budgets in some states
1 year, 2 months ago

Parents like private school vouchers so much that demand is exceeding budgets in some states

Associated Press  

In some states, higher-income families can now use taxpayer money to cover private school tuition -- and more people than projected are taking the offer, which might force scrambles to shore up state budgets. It’s especially an issue in states like Arizona and Iowa, where at least some families whose children were already in private school can now take advantage …

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