- What is Gift Aid?
- Am I eligible for Gift Aid?
- How do I know if I am a UK taxpayer?
- How do I sign up for Gift Aid?
- What if my circumstances change?
- What if I am retired and receiving a pension?
- Can I withdraw my declaration on a specific gift?
- Why have I received a letter about Gift Aid?
- I have opted out of communication from the 黑料不打烊, why are you contacting me about Gift Aid?
- Where can I find out more about Gift Aid?
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a UK government scheme which allows charities to increase the value of donations received. If you are an eligible UK taxpayer, charities can claim an extra 25p for every 拢1 donated, with no additional cost to you.
For example, if you donate 拢10, and are eligible for Gift Aid, the 黑料不打烊 should receive 拢12.50 which means your generosity goes even further.
Am I eligible for Gift Aid?
To be eligible for Gift Aid you must be a UK taxpayer and have paid, or expect to pay, sufficient Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax in the relevant financial year to cover the Gift Aid claimed on all of your donations to charity.
Your donations will usually qualify as long as they are not more than four times the amount you have paid in tax in the relevant tax year (6 April to 5 April). The tax could have been paid on Income or Capital Gains Tax. You must tell the charities you support if you stop paying enough tax.
How do I know if I am a UK taxpayer?
You are usually considered a UK income taxpayer if any of the following apply to you:
- tax is taken from your wages or pension before you receive them
- you fill in a self-assessment tax return to HMRC each year
- you have any taxable savings (e.g. in a building society), a pension plan or investment income.
You may have also paid Capital Gains Tax on the sale of a property or shares, for example. Please note that Inheritance Tax does not count as Income or Capital Gains Tax.
How do I sign up for Gift Aid?
Signing up for Gift Aid is simple, you just need to complete a declaration with each charity to which you donate. You will need to provide your full name and address which will be used by HMRC to identify you. The Gift Aid declaration contains a statement to confirm that you are a UK taxpayer and you understand your responsibility to cover the difference if there is a shortfall between the amount of Gift Aid to be claimed and the amount of tax you have paid in the relevant tax year.
. You can also tick the box on our online, or paper donation forms. Additionally, we are able to take a verbal declaration over the phone and we will confirm this to you in writing.
What if my circumstances change?
If there is a change to your address, name, or tax status, please contact us at giving@reading.ac.uk and we can update your record accordingly.
We will continue to claim Gift Aid on your donations until you notify us otherwise, so please do let us know if your circumstances change.
What if I am retired and receiving a pension?
As a retired individual, you can still participate in the Gift Aid scheme as long as you have paid enough tax to cover the amount of Gift Aid that charities are claiming on your donations.
This could include tax on:
- private pensions: if you receive a private pension and tax is deducted
- savings: tax paid on interest from savings accounts
- Capital Gains Tax: if you have sold assets like property or shares at a profit and have paid capital gains tax.
Can I withdraw my declaration on a specific gift?
Yes, this is no problem. This could be because you know that you will not be paying enough tax in the year to cover the Gift Aid amount on that donation. If this is the case, please contact us via email at giving@reading.ac.uk.
Please remember, if a declaration exists, it is the donor鈥檚 responsibility to inform the charity not to claim Gift Aid, if applicable. If we have a declaration, the 黑料不打烊 will continue to claim Gift Aid on your donations until you notify us otherwise.
Why have I received a letter about Gift Aid?
To ensure that our records are up to date and that we are adhering to HMRC Gift Aid rules, we may need to contact you to check your details.
Information about why we are contacting you will be included in your letter. This is nothing to be alarmed by and often there is no need to respond.
If you do need to get in touch after receiving a letter about Gift Aid, please email giving@reading.ac.uk or call +44 (0) 118 378 8006.
I have opted out of communication from the 黑料不打烊, why are you contacting me about Gift Aid?
At the 黑料不打烊 we take your preferences regarding communication seriously. Under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules, we are permitted to contact you about your declaration because we have a legitimate interest in ensuring that we are correctly claiming Gift Aid under HMRC鈥檚 rules.
Where can I find out more about Gift Aid?
If you have any questions that haven鈥檛 been covered on this webpage, please contact our Fundraising Team at giving@reading.ac.uk or +44(0) 118 378 8006.
The FAQs are intended as general guidance surrounding the HMRC Gift Aid scheme and do not constitute professional legal advice. We always recommend that you seek professional advice to fully understand any tax and/or financial implications that are personal to you as they will be able to advise in this regard.
