Government faces fresh call to scrap VAT on school uniforms

A Liberal Democrat MP has called on the government to make all school uniforms VAT-free.

At the moment, no VAT is applied to school uniform designed for children aged under 14.

But Munira Wilson, the Lib Dems’ education spokesperson, wants the government to go further and apply this exemption for pupils up to the age of 16.

Ms Wilson has put forward the idea in an amendment to the government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, saying this must happen within six months of the law being introduced.

Long-standing debate over uniform prices far from over

Ms Wilson is far from the first MP to call for VAT to be scrapped on all school-specific uniform items.

Just last year, she was among a group of MPs from various parties who jointly wrote to then-chancellor Jeremy Hunt, calling the current VAT arrangements a “school uniform tax”.

In the letter, they argued that scrapping VAT would “ease excessive and disproportionate tax burdens on working families and support the government’s long-term plan for education as a ‘silver bullet’ for economic growth”.

The letter also stated that the “inequity” in VAT on school uniforms “disproportionately impacts families with children above the age of 14 or those who are taller or larger than average”.

“Removing VAT on school-specific uniform items would be a just tax reform and a practical step towards supporting families, particularly those who are struggling, during this period of economic challenge,” it added.

A public petition in 2023, meanwhile, attracted more than 24,000 signatories.

But in response, the then-Conservative government said: “School uniform designed for children under 14 is VAT-free. This is when body dimensions begin to merge with the adult population. There are no plans to go further but we keep all taxes under review.”

Even as far back as 1980, when Margaret Thatcher was in power, the idea was considered by HM Customs & Excise. However, they decided that adults could be able to exploit this zero rate, as items such as plain trousers, shirts and skirts would easily fit many older people.

Government to put cap on branded items

Although the government has so far made no moves on the idea of scrapping VAT, it is exploring other ways to bring down uniform costs for parents.

For example, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill includes a plan to limit schools to three branded items per child, plus a tie.

This change could save mums and dads more than £50 per child on uniforms when the measures are introduced in September 2026.

How much do parents spend on school uniforms?

According to a recent poll by Wynsors:

78% of parents spent over £100 per school year on uniform.
More than half of these (57%) spent up to £249.
Nearly one in three (32%) are replacing school shoes every three to six months because their children are growing out of their current pair.