How does Gift Aid work?

You can make sure that every donation that you’ve made to us in the past, and everything you donate in the future, is eligible for Gift Aid by completing this simple declaration form.

This is a statement from you to us confirming that you are a UK taxpayer and that you want the charity to claim Gift Aid on your donations. It covers all donations, whether you make them online or in another way.

Please remember to tell us about any change in your tax status, or if your name or address changes so that we can update our records.

You’re eligible if you’re a UK taxpayer and have paid income or capital gains tax within the financial year.

You don’t necessarily have to be working to pay tax. If any of the following situations apply to you then you could still qualify:

• You have taxable savings, a state pension or other pension plans
• You have taxable investment or rental income
• You pay capital gains tax.

Only UK tax counts, so if you pay tax outside the UK then unfortunately we won’t be able to claim for your donation.

Remember: if you pay less income tax or capital gains tax in the current tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all your donations it is your responsibility to pay any difference.

• Gift Aid only applies to voluntary gifts and can be claimed on individual or sponsorship donations made to charity.

• We can’t claim on donations made in return for tickets (raffles, events and auctions).

• We can’t claim Gift Aid on goods and services.

• We can’t claim if you’re making a donation on behalf of someone else or a group of people. For example, if a friend gives you £10 in cash and then you add it to your fundraising page using your own card, the donation is not eligible, even if your friend is a UK taxpayer. This is because HMRC needs to know the details of the person actually contributing the funds.

• We can’t claim on a donation made on behalf of a company. You can only make declarations on your own taxpayer status when spending your own money. However, a company can claim tax relief on the donation when donating directly to the charity.

If you’re a higher rate taxpayer, you can claim the difference between the higher rate of tax and the basic rate on the total value of your donation, which you can keep or pass on to charity. Just indicate how much you’ve donated when completing your tax self-assessment form.