Greek Orthodox schools protest against Victorian government’s planned payroll tax change

·

Oakleigh Grammar and St John’s College Preston have sent a letter to some Victorian Members of Parliament, asking them to call on the state government to retain the payroll tax exemption for independent schools.

The letter was sent on Friday morning and is signed by the Chairmen and Principals of Oakleigh Grammar and St John’s College Preston.

It comes after the recent Victorian Budget on Tuesday announced that ‘high fee independent schools’ would have their tax exemption cut from July 1 next year. This would make Victoria the only state in Australia to impose payroll tax on independent schools.

Under the change, Victorian independent schools which charge more than $7,500 a year in tuition fees are, as reported in the media, classified as high fee independent schools.

According to the letter, “if this classification is correct, then low-to-mid fee schools such as Oakleigh Grammar and St John’s College Preston would be subject to approximately $700,000 in payroll tax for the 2024 school year.”

The school leaders said this payroll tax introduction “would jeopardise in the worst case scenario, the ongoing viability of our schools.”

“At the very least, it would impact our schools’ current curricular and co-curricular offerings and negatively impact staffing levels to continue to deliver value-for-money high quality educational programs,” they said.

The Victorian Budget was handed down on Tuesday.

The school leaders also stressed in the letter that any further increase in school fees due to the introduction of a payroll tax would put many parents out of reach financially to afford an independent school education.

“Our school fees are already at the highest level of affordability for the parent demographic of each of our schools, many of whom are still struggling to recover from the significant impact of the Covid pandemic,” they said.

“We have continued to receive a high number of hardship applications from our parents due to a higher inflation rate and rising interest rates causing mortgage stress.”

Currently, both Oakleigh Grammar and St John’s College Preston are awaiting more detail about the
classification of what constitutes a high fee independent school, with hopes a specific classification system would exempt them from payroll tax.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Step into the world of mental health with Georgia Cassimatis’ latest book

Greek Australian author and journalist, Georgia Cassimatis, has released a book all about exploring the world of mental health.

GOCNSW Welfare Service to put a spotlight on cyber security awareness

The Greek Orthodox Community of NSW’s (GOCNSW) Welfare Service has organised three Cyber Security Awareness education and training workshops.

Marriage of a Greek woman abroad: What to watch out for

It is during this registration process that numerous problems arise, which are not dealt with immediately but later on.

Athena Competition Greek winners show olive oil diversity

By Lisa Radinovsky from Greek Liquid Gold. At the 10th anniversary edition of the ATHENA International Olive Oil Competition in Chania, Crete, Greece in May, 175 Greek olive oils...

Greece’s island communities face population crisis

The demographic decline in Greece is hitting its islands hard, with Lemnos and Agios Efstratios showing alarming signs of aging populations.

You May Also Like

Samian Association of SA showcases Samos’ role in iconic Greek spirit Metaxa

On Sunday, October 13, the Samian Association of South Australian “Pythagoras” Inc held a 100-person sold out event on the Grange foreshore.

EU health body warns against visiting Greek islands over COVID-19

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is discouraging all but essential travel to and from thirteen Aegean islands.

Greek PM calls for EU-US cooperation at emergency European Council meeting

At an emergency European Council meeting in Brussels, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasised the critical need for strong cooperation.