Rachel Reeves 'underestimated' parents' prepayment push to avoid private school VAT
Briefly

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has underestimated the prepayment of fees by parents of private school students to avoid VAT. The top 50 independent schools collected £515 million in advance fees before the 20% VAT charge was implemented on January 1, 2025. This amount surpassed the Treasury's prediction of £450 million. Eton College individually accounted for over £50 million in these advance payments. The government claims the new VAT policy will still achieve its forecasted revenue of £1.8 billion by 2029-30, focusing on improving state school standards.
Eton College alone took in over £50 million in advance fees before the deadline - representing more than £10 million in VAT revenue foregone.
The Government insists the policy will still deliver on its revenue goals, expecting to raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029-30.
Read at Business Matters
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