Gift Aid is a UK government tax relief designed to benefit donors, registered charity organisations and Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs). If you’re a UK taxpayer, the scheme increases the value of your charitable donation by 25%, meaning every £1 you donate, 25p gets added at no extra cost to you!
The UK public donated generously in 2016, contributing a massive 9.7 billion pounds to charity, Gift Aid alone generated £1.2 billion of this!
Common questions about Gift Aid
Am I paying enough tax to qualify?
First of all, for your donations to qualify, you must have:
Paid UK Income or Capital Gains Tax that financial year
Paid the equivalent amount in tax of the Gift Aid the charity will reclaim on your donation.
Notified your supported charity if you stop paying enough tax, for example; you stop working or your tax rate changes.
What do I need to do as a donor?
As a donor, you will have to make a Gift Aid declaration (GAD) for your chosen charity to claim. You can do this by filling out a declaration form at the point of a donation. Remember to ask for one of these as you donate!
Can I claim Gift Aid on historical donations?
Yes! One of the great things about the scheme is the ability to claim on any eligible donations up to 4 years old. But remember to let any charities that you donated to know of the years you didn’t pay enough tax.
What happens if I’m a higher rate taxpayer?
Furthermore, if you are a higher rate taxpayer, you can claim back additional benefits on the donations you make. Just include the amount you’ve donated when you complete your self-assessment form.
That’s pretty much it, and we hope this helped! If you need to know more you can find additional information about Gift Aid by visiting the UK government website.
