Independent schools in Scotland will lose an important tax break next year, the Scottish government has confirmed, The Daily Record reports.
The schools will no longer qualify for rates relief after the pandemic caused a delay to the change being implemented.
The Scottish Government announced at the end of 2019 that independent schools would no longer get charitable relief of up to 80 per cent on their bills for non-domestic rates.
The 2017 Barclay Review noted that while state schools generally pay non-domestic business rates, private ones receive relief, something it said was “unfair”.
Ministers accepted the recommendation and removal of the relief was supposed to come into effect more than a year ago, but now it is expected in April 2022.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government has confirmed the schools’ eligibility for rates relief will be removed on April 1.
The majority of England’s 2,250 private schools have charitable status and currently enjoy at least 80 per cent relief on business rates.
