Make clothes and shoes tax free for all school kids
The Issue
As a parent, I find myself facing unexpected expenses because clothing and shoe sizes don't always reflect a child's age. My son, at 10 years old, wears a size 7 shoe, meaning that I have to pay additional taxes on his footwear even though he hasn’t even completed primary school. This situation is unfair and financially burdensome, not only for me but for countless other families who are in similar positions.
The current tax regulations don’t take into account the myriad of shapes and sizes children come in. We need to acknowledge that children are growing at different rates and that their clothing needs can vary greatly. Taxing parents because their children grow faster than average puts an unnecessary financial strain on families.
In the United Kingdom, most children's clothing is zero-rated for Value Added Tax (VAT). However, there's a caveat: clothing and shoes are zero-rated only up to a certain size, typically assumed to correspond to children up to 14 years of age. For children who are taller or have larger feet than the average, parents end up paying VAT as soon as their children outgrow the typical size expectations. According to the National Child Measurement Programme, childhood obesity and increasing sizes mean many families face this tax much earlier than intended.
We propose making all school-related clothing and shoes tax-exempt regardless of size. This will better reflect the needs of modern families and ensure that larger children aren't penalized simply for growing quicker than their peers. Such a change would support numerous families, make children’s clothing costs more predictable, and prevent the financial punishment of families facing these circumstances.
This is not only about fairness but also about recognizing and adapting to the realities of modern children’s growth patterns. I'm calling on the UK government to review and amend this policy to offer every child equal treatment in regards to taxes on clothing, regardless of size.
Please sign this petition to help families across the country and to put an end to this unfair expense for children’s necessities!
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The Issue
As a parent, I find myself facing unexpected expenses because clothing and shoe sizes don't always reflect a child's age. My son, at 10 years old, wears a size 7 shoe, meaning that I have to pay additional taxes on his footwear even though he hasn’t even completed primary school. This situation is unfair and financially burdensome, not only for me but for countless other families who are in similar positions.
The current tax regulations don’t take into account the myriad of shapes and sizes children come in. We need to acknowledge that children are growing at different rates and that their clothing needs can vary greatly. Taxing parents because their children grow faster than average puts an unnecessary financial strain on families.
In the United Kingdom, most children's clothing is zero-rated for Value Added Tax (VAT). However, there's a caveat: clothing and shoes are zero-rated only up to a certain size, typically assumed to correspond to children up to 14 years of age. For children who are taller or have larger feet than the average, parents end up paying VAT as soon as their children outgrow the typical size expectations. According to the National Child Measurement Programme, childhood obesity and increasing sizes mean many families face this tax much earlier than intended.
We propose making all school-related clothing and shoes tax-exempt regardless of size. This will better reflect the needs of modern families and ensure that larger children aren't penalized simply for growing quicker than their peers. Such a change would support numerous families, make children’s clothing costs more predictable, and prevent the financial punishment of families facing these circumstances.
This is not only about fairness but also about recognizing and adapting to the realities of modern children’s growth patterns. I'm calling on the UK government to review and amend this policy to offer every child equal treatment in regards to taxes on clothing, regardless of size.
Please sign this petition to help families across the country and to put an end to this unfair expense for children’s necessities!
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Petition created on 27 September 2026