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Fees and Payroll Tax for Independent Schools 

As previously communicated, the Victorian government decided earlier this year to introduce a payroll tax for high fee Independent Schools. They have recently determined that the definition of a high fee school is one that charges, on average, more than $15,000 in fees per annum based on 2019 figures.  

Plenty Valley Christian College’s average fees are about half that amount and so we will be exempted from the payroll tax for now. We breathe a sigh of relief because just that tax alone would have resulted in a 10% increase in fees for our school. 

However, we still have concerns about a legal framework where an individual minister can arbitrarily decide which schools are taxed and which are exempt. Yesterday, we saw this in action when the announced criteria in the morning was changed, without consultation, by the afternoon. The way the tax and the exemptions will be applied is still unclear to schools. 

In the past few years PVCC has been aware of the extra burden on our families due to COVID and economic changes. In response, the board has not increased our fees by the full rise in costs for the college. We have been able to offset this minimal growth in fee income because student numbers have increased. Unfortunately, next year we will not be able to do that again and we will be looking toward a fee increase that is more in keeping with the real rises in costs for schools. The board are presently considering the situation and will prayerfully make decisions in the best interests of families and the college. These decisions will be communicated as soon as possible. We are grateful to God that we do not have to be adding another 10% payroll tax levy. 

Private school parents warned of fee scam

Victorian parents are being targeted by scammers pretending to be from their children’s schools and offering discounted fees. Private school parents have been warned of a scam trying to con them into handing their financial details over to thieves for payment of school fees. On WhatsApp groups and social media, parents are sharing details of a scam alert sent by a Queensland school with potential losses of thousands of dollars. The scam goes like this: Parents are called by a scammer pretending to be from school, offering a 30 percent discount on fees if they pay straight away.