What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a scheme run the by HMRC that offers charities the option to reclaim 25p of every £1 donated. Charity donors, who pay UK Income and Capital Gains tax, are able to donate the tax paid on their donation back to the charity. By signing a Gift Aid declaration form, either online or in a paper format, every time you donate, your charity can reclaim the tax you have paid based on the value of the donation you have made.
Supportability are a registered charity (Registered charity number 1009768 under the Charity name Stockport, East Cheshire, High Peak, Urmston & District Cerebral Palsy Society).
How does Gift Aid work?
If you (the donor) are a UK Taxpayer and make a donation to Supportability we are able to claim Gift Aid on the donation and increase the value of your donation by 25% at no extra charge to you. You must complete a Gift Aid Declaration form in full Supportability Gift Aid Form Multiple Donations to enable us to make this claim.
All Supportability needs from you is the completed Gift Aid Declaration form either via the website, written or verbally (we will confirm a verbal Gift Aid Declaration in writing to you). You do not need to gift aid all of your donations. You can choose to offer gift aid on a single donation, past donations (going back 4 years) or donations going forward and should complete the Supportability Gift Aid Form – Single Donation form.
Enabling Supportability to claim gift aid on a £10 donation means the total value of this donation to the charity is £12.50.
Tax years run from 6th April in one year to 5th April the following year. You will not need to complete a new declaration for every donation unless your details change. If your personal circumstances or the information you provided on your gift aid declaration change at any time, it is your responsibility to inform Supportability with a new gift aid declaration, phone call or email fundraising@supportability.org.uk
How would Gift Aid affect my tax?
Allowing any charity to claim Gift Aid on your donation does not affect your tax status or the amount of tax you pay. Supportability will make a claim to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) on the tax you have already paid on your donations. You must complete a separate Gift Aid declaration for all charities you donate to.
I am a higher rate tax payer – how does this affect me?
As a higher rate taxpayer, when you donate the charity will claim against your donation at the basic rate of tax.
Am I eligible to sign up for Gift Aid?
If you are a UK tax payer you are eligible to complete a Gift Aid Declaration form. You do not have to be employed to be a taxpayer. If you are paying tax on a personal or occupational pension, gains on the sale of stocks and shares, bank or building society savings accounts, rental income or overseas and UK investment dividends you are still eligible.
Can we donate with a joint Gift Aid Declaration?
Yes, you can donate with a joint Gift Aid Declaration, this can be signed even if one partner is not a UK Taxpayer. If you would like to make a joint Gift Aid Declaration we need to record information for both donors however the parties who are signing the Gift Aid Declaration must be named on the bank account from which the donation is made. To complete a joint Gift Aid Declaration please contact the Fundraising team on 0161 432 1248.
What should I do if my tax status changes and/or I want to I cancel or change my Gift Aid declaration?
Keeping your details up to date-
You must notify Supportability as soon as possible if you change your name or your home address while the Gift Aid Declaration is in place. A new Gift Aid declaration must be completed with your updated personal details.
It is your responsibility to notify Supportability if you would like to withdraw from the Gift Aid scheme.
If your tax status changes-
If you pay less Income Tax and/or Capitals Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid Supportability claims on all of your donations in that tax year, it will be your responsibility to pay any difference.
Cancelling your claim-
If you need or want to cancel the Gift Aid Declaration or the gift aid for any particular donation at any time you can do so by notifying the fundraising team on 0161 432 1248 or emailing fundraising@supportability.org.uk.
You can cancel the Gift Aid on a particular donation if you think you will not pay enough tax in that tax year to cover what will be reclaimed on your behalf.
How much tax do I need to pay to be eligible to sign up for Gift Aid?
In one tax year (6th April to 5th April the following year), you must have paid at least 25 pence in income or capital gains tax for every £1 you donate to charity. Please ensure you are paying enough tax to Gift Aid your donations.
How do I know if I pay income tax?
If you are not sure whether you pay income tax, check any financial paperwork sent to you that relates to money paid to you, for example
- a pay slip from your employer
- a savings statement (e.g. with a bank or building society)
- a bank account statement
As the taxpayer, you are responsible for checking your eligibility for any Gift Aid declarations as any tax shortfall is the responsibility of the taxpayer, so please speak to your accountant or HMRC if you are unsure if you are eligible.
Why do I need to complete a Gift Aid Declaration?
A completed Gift Aid declaration, in any format, gives Supportability authority to reclaim tax from HMRC on your financial donation. By completing and signing the declaration, in full, this is confirmation to Supportability that you have understood, are eligible for and have agreed to your tax being reclaimed by Supportability.
Gift Aid Declaration forms can be returned by email to fundraising@supportability.org.uk or by post to Fundraising, Supportability, Granville House, 20 Parsonage Road, Stockport, SK4 4JZ
What types are donations are eligible for Gift Aid?
A donation is only eligible for Gift Aid if it is a pure donation and you have not received anything back for this donation e.g. a raffle or event ticket. Supportability will only claim Gift Aid on pure donations.
Examples of donations that are not eligible-
- If you have not paid enough tax to cover what would be claimed within the tax year (6th April – 5th April) it is your responsibility to make Supportability aware if this is the case.
- Any financial donation made by someone who is not a UK taxpayer
- Donations made on behalf of someone else or a group of people (for example if you collect money from friends and family and make a bulk donation to us, we are not able to claim Gift Aid for this donation. Each person making a donation, must have their own separate Gift Aid Declaration)
- Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) or similar agency donations (because the tax from these donations has already been claimed for the charity)
- Donations received from a Trust
- Donations made on behalf of a company
- If you receive a benefit for your donation for example a donation made in return for goods, rights or services
Can I donate to more than one charity via Gift Aid?
You must ensure that you will have paid at least the equivalent amount of tax that all the charities combined will be reclaiming. It is your responsibility to repay any difference if the amounts claimed are incorrect. You can support as many charities as you would like to with Gift Aid. You will need to complete a separate Gift Aid Declaration form with each different charity.
Important points to note
The Gift Aid declaration is only deemed complete if Supportability has your full name, home address and postcode in order to process a Gift Aid Claim. For any tax that Supportability claims as Gift Aid you must have paid an equal amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in that tax year.
We will never ask you for any bank details or personal details other than what is asked for on the Gift Aid Declaration form. Gift Aid forms are stored securely in accordance with the Supportability privacy notice. You will only receive correspondence from Supportability about your Gift Aid donations unless you have signed up separately to receive newsletters and information directly from Supportability.
If you need any further information or have any questions relating to making a donation and Gift Aid please visit https://www.gov.uk/donating-to-charity/gift-aid or give us a call but please note we are unable to give advice or guidance on personal financial situations.
Gift aid forms
