Letter: Forget fees, a donation can finesse Labour’s VAT plan

If Labour is elected and imposes VAT on school fees the simple solution would be for the schools with charitable status to tell fee payers that in future schools will not invoice parents for fees or extras but instead will request a donation (“Schools seek VAT clarity from Labour”, Report, May 30). For example if a year’s fees were £40,000 schools would request the donor to sign a standard Gift Aid declaration and make a donation of £32,500. The school would then claim the standard 25 per cent Gift Aid rebate ie £8,125 thus providing just over the required figure of £40,000.

Wayne Kitcat
Abinger, Surrey, UK

Letter in response to this letter:
Why were private schools charities in the first place? / From David Linnell, Loughton, Essex, UK