Ending private school tax breaks would raise £1.5bn for state sector, thinktank says

Research by the IFS found that Labour’s plans to add VAT to private school fees would help provide a 2% boost in spending on England’s state schools. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

Warnings of a mass exodus from private schools if Labour carries out its pledge to scrap their tax breaks have been dismissed by a leading economic thinktank. .

Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found that Labour’s plans to add VAT to private school fees would generate up to £1.5bn in additional revenue, “a small but potentially worthwhile sum” providing a 2% boost in spending on England’s state schools.