Gift Aid increases the value of donations to UK charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) by allowing them to reclaim basic rate tax on your gift. If you pay higher rate tax you can claim extra relief on your donations. If you claim age-related allowances or tax credits, Gift Aid donations can sometimes increase your entitlement.
How Gift Aid works
The Gift Aid scheme is for gifts of money by UK taxpayers. Charities or CASCs take your donation – which is money you've already paid tax on – and reclaim basic rate tax from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) on its 'gross' equivalent – the amount before basic rate tax was deducted.
Basic rate tax is 20 per cent, so this means that if you give £10 using Gift Aid, it's worth £12.50 to the charity. For donations between 6 April 2008 and 5 April 2011 the charity or CASC will also get a separate government supplement of 3p on every pound you give.
How to make a donation using Gift Aid
In order to make a Gift Aid donation you'll need to make a Gift Aid declaration. The charity will normally ask you to complete a simple form – one form can cover every gift made to the same charity or CASC for whatever period you choose and can cover gifts you have already made and/or gifts you may make in the future.
Gifts made jointly by people living together
You can use Gift Aid for gifts you make jointly if you tell the charity or CASC how much each of you is giving and if you each make a Gift Aid declaration.
Making sure you've paid enough tax to use Gift Aid
You can use Gift Aid if the amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax you've paid in the tax year (6 April one year to 5 April the next) in which your donation is made is at least equal to the amount of basic rate tax the charity or CASC is reclaiming on your gift. If you make a number of donations you will need to consider the tax you've paid on each donation on an accumulative basis.
You don't necessarily have to be working to be paying tax. Apart from tax on income from a job or self-employment, the tax you've paid could include:
- tax deducted at source from savings interest
- tax on State Pension and/or other pensions
- tax on investment or rental income
- Capital Gains Tax on gains
But only UK tax counts, so if you only pay tax outside the UK you won't be able to use Gift Aid.
If you are interested in Gift Aid and want to find out more, contact the Institute of Fundraising’s Tax-Effective Giving team at www.tax-effectivegiving.org.uk or call 0845 458 4586. We offer training as well as free advice, information and downloads. Our forum, www.GiftAidHelp.org is also a useful source of advice on Gift Aid from specialists in the field.
ReplyDeleteMаny thanκs for the nice еxplanation.
ReplyDeleteMy page: hot