Education Not Taxation:
Parents Against School Fee VAT

Labour pledge to add VAT onto independent school fees immediately if it wins the next general election. This is likely to force children out of the schools they love, close independent schools and increase pressure on popular state schools, while failing to raise the money promised. We know because we are a group of working parents who have or know children in independent schools.

We are not a party-political group.  We are just hard-working parents who don’t want to see their children, or those of others, forced to leave the schools they know and love.  Collectively we have different political preferences and life experiences, but we are united by this deep concern.

We want all schools to thrive. We see no gain by pitting independent schools against state schools. As Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves argues, taxation won’t generate more money for public services. She adds that we must grow our way there. We agree. 

This means that taxing independent school fees won’t help anyone, but it will hurt children. It will also hurt many working families, contrary to Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge not to increase the burden on them, “whether it comes to tax or anything else.”  Those advocating the policy haven’t done nearly enough to consider these unintended harms.

Every parent wants the best for their children. Some send their children to independent schools. Others move near popular state schools or tutor their children for grammar school entrance exams. This even includes many of those seeking to tax independent schools. Parents shouldn’t be punished for being parents, and schools shouldn’t be punished for educating children.

We all know that many schools struggle to cope with limited resources. They do their best but need more support. Every school has a role to play to give every child the chance they deserve. We urge the next Government (whoever wins the next election) to focus their efforts on improving education across the country and preparing every child for success in a rapidly changing world – without attacking our families and our schools. 

We just want more good schools, and this will be much easier to achieve by working together with independent schools rather than harming so many of them with this policy. 

Through this website we hope to persuade policymakers to support quality education and avoid harming families by not taxing independent schools.