ISC CEO: VAT on fees policy 'a bridge too far' for some independent schools
ISC chief executive Julie Robinson has warned that the government's VAT on fees policy is likely to have a long-term impact on the independent sector.
Twelve independent schools have blamed the government's VAT on fees policy for forcing their closure since it was first presented. According to Department for Education statistics, 77 independent schools and independent specialist schools in England have closed since Labour announced in October 2023 that VAT would be applied to fees within its first year in power.
Speaking earlier this year, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Julie Robinson said the impact of the government’s VAT policy would increase "over the coming months and years".
Ms Robinson warned: "It is true that a small number of schools close every year. But it is equally true that the government’s triple tax whammy on independent schools will prove a bridge too far for schools already under financial pressure."