What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid is a scheme available to charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs). It means they can claim extra money from HMRC.

The charity or CASC can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you donate. That's as long as you’ve paid the basic rate of tax and make the donation from your own funds. That means Gift Aid can increase the value of your donations by 25%, so you can give even more to the causes you care about.

Gift Aid is important for charities, and means millions of pounds extra go to the charity sector. Each time an eligible tax payer donates and forgets to tick the Gift Aid box, the charity misses out.

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Are my donations eligible for Gift Aid?

A charity can claim Gift Aid when you make a monetary donation from your own funds and have paid UK Income and / or Capital Gains Tax during that tax year.

The amount of tax you pay needs to be at least equal to the value of Gift Aid the charity or CASC will claim on your donation(s).

If circumstances change and you no longer pay enough tax, it’s important to tell all the charities you support. If you don’t tell them and they continue claiming Gift Aid, you’ll need to pay any difference back to HMRC.

Frequently asked questions about Gift Aid

  • Can Gift Aid be claimed on money raised from fundraising events?
    Donations not eligible for Gift Aid are those made with a company’s money or other peoples’ money. This includes amounts raised through fundraising (eg a bake sale). That means you won’t be able to ask the charity to claim Gift Aid on such funds.
  • Can Gift Aid be claimed for higher rate tax payers?
    Do you pay tax above the basic rate? If so, you can claim the difference between the rate you pay and the basic rate on your donations. The same applies if you live in Scotland. You can claim the difference through your Self Assessment tax return or ask HMRC to amend your tax code.
  • Can Gift Aid be claimed for Payroll Giving
    Donations made to charity through payroll giving, like CAF Give As You Earn, aren’t eligible for Gift Aid. That's because they’re taken from your wages before tax.

Manage all your giving in one place

Do you regularly donate to charity? Want to respond to emergency or TV appeals? Or like to sponsor friends when they fundraise? We can make it simpler for you.

Open a CAF Charity Account and you only need to complete one Gift Aid Declaration. Once you’ve confirmed you’re a UK tax payer, we’ll arrange for the Gift Aid to go direct to your account. That means you can donate the extra funds to any charity you want.

If circumstances change and any future donations are no longer eligible for Gift Aid, tell us and we’ll do the rest. You won’t need to contact any of the charities that you support through your Charity Account.
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