Don't apply VAT to independent school fees, or remove business rates relief.
115,560 people signed this petition to the UK Parliament after it opened on 2 December 2024; it closed on 2 June 2025. The Government responded on 20 December 2024. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 3 March 2025.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Don't apply VAT to independent school fees, or remove business rates relief.
Prevent independent schools from having to pay VAT on fees and incurring business rates as a result of new legislation.
We think the Government needs to understand that not all independent school parents are wealthy, appreciate the benefits of independent schools and do better due diligence.
Independent schools have supported Ukrainian refugees, children with SEN, sharing facilities with public schools and supporting less fortunate families with bursaries.
We think this policy will split children from established friend networks, familiar environments and place the burden and cost on public schools.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 20 December 2024; the petitions site lists the HM Treasury as responsible. Its summary:
The Government will remove tax breaks for private schools. This will raise £1.8bn a year, helping to deliver the Government’s commitments for children in state schools.
The opening 340 words of the 720-word response:
From 1 January 2025, all education services, vocational training, and boarding services provided by private schools for a charge will be subject to 20% VAT. This will apply to any fees charged on or after 29 July 2024 for terms starting 1 January 2025 onwards. Alongside ending the VAT exemption, private schools that are charities in England will no longer be able to claim charitable rate relief. This is intended to take effect from April 2025, subject to Parliamentary passage. Together, these policies are expected to raise c.£1.8 billion a year by 2029/30.
Around 94% of school children in the UK attend state schools. Ending tax breaks for private schools was a tough but necessary decision that will secure additional funding to help deliver the Government’s commitments relating to education and young people. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced a £2.3 billion increase to the core schools budget in 2025/26 in England, increasing per pupil funding in real terms.
The Government has carefully considered the likely impacts of these policies, and the Government's costings have been scrutinised and certified by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. On the VAT policy, the Government has published a detailed costing note and Tax Impact and Information Note, which are viewable online. The Government also conducted a technical consultation, which received over 17,000 responses, all of which were carefully considered before the final policy design was confirmed. The Government’s response to this consultation is also viewable online.
Ending the VAT break for private schools does not mean that schools must increase fees by 20%. On average, the Government expects fees to rise by 10%. However, some schools have already said that they will cap fee increases at 5%, or indeed, absorb the full VAT cost themselves. The number of pupils in private schools has remained steady despite a 75% real terms increase in average private school fees since 2000. The Government is confident that the vast majority of parents will be able to keep their child in private school, even if fees increase.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies. Measured against each constituency's electorate at the 2024 general election, the most came from Chelsea and Fulham, with 23.9 signatures per 1,000 electors (1,878 in all).
115,045 of the signatures were from the UK and 515 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures | Electorate, July 2024 | Per 1,000 electors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea and Fulham | 1,878 | 78,468 | 23.9 |
| Richmond Park | 1,615 | 74,988 | 21.5 |
| Kensington and Bayswater | 1,566 | 77,306 | 20.3 |
| Esher and Walton | 1,156 | 74,042 | 15.6 |
| Wimbledon | 1,194 | 76,334 | 15.6 |
| Cities of London and Westminster | 1,138 | 73,369 | 15.5 |
| Hampstead and Highgate | 1,202 | 80,029 | 15.0 |
| Godalming and Ash | 1,097 | 75,816 | 14.5 |
| Hammersmith and Chiswick | 1,083 | 75,860 | 14.3 |
| Battersea | 1,013 | 72,827 | 13.9 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 30,492 |
| London | 30,277 |
| East of England | 12,719 |
| South West | 9,681 |
| Scotland | 6,879 |
| West Midlands | 5,843 |
| North West | 5,580 |
| East Midlands | 4,482 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 4,082 |
| North East | 2,019 |
| Wales | 1,269 |
| Northern Ireland | 267 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 3 March 2025. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/701268.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
d2853f6614ac0f3d… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.