ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
About making your giving go further
Gift Aid
Is your donation eligible for Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is an arrangement that allows charities to reclaim tax on a donation made by a UK taxpayer, which means your donations will be worth 25% more to us at no extra cost to you.
Whether you pay online, by phone or post please make sure that you send all your filled-out sponsorship forms to Save the Children. You can find a sponsorship form in your Save the Children fundraising pack.
If we don't receive your forms, Save the Children won't be able to claim Gift Aid.
Under UK law, certain donations are not eligible for Gift Aid. If your donation falls into any of the following categories, Gift Aid shouldn’t be claimed:
• Donations made by anyone who is not a UK taxpayer.*
• Donations made on behalf of someone else or a group of people – For example, you collect money from your friends and family and then made a bulk donation. Even if they are UK taxpayers, the donation is not eligible. HMRC needs a Gift Aid declaration from each of the donors contributing to the collection.
• Donations made in return for something. For example, you are making a donation in return for a ticket to attend an event, most purchases of goods at an auction, a cake sale donation, or buying a raffle ticket.
• Donations made on behalf of a company (however, the company can claim tax relief on the donation when donating directly to the charity).
*NOTE: If you are either not a UK taxpayer, or if you pay less income tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the current tax year than the amount claimed on all your donations, HMRC may require you to pay the difference.
I am a pensioner, do my donations qualify?
You may still be paying tax on a private pension plan or a savings account, or capital gains tax if you sell either some property or shares. You are still eligible if you have paid enough tax during the year to cover the amount we are reclaiming on your donations.
What if I have agreed to Gift Aid to another charity?
You can support as many UK charities as you like through Gift Aid. All you need to do is to return a declaration to each charity that you support and ensure that you are paying enough tax during the year to cover your total annual donations.
Do I have to make a declaration for every gift?
No. You just need fill out a Gift Aid declaration and date it - then it will cover donations you have already made to Save the Children and any donations you make in the future. There is no extra paperwork - we deal with the tax office to reclaim the tax. All we need is your form.
What if I pay tax at a higher rate? Can Save the Children claim back the full amount?
Unfortunately not, we can only claim back tax at the basic rate. But you can request a rebate for the difference when you submit your tax returns and you can then opt to donate this to a charity of your choice.
Can it apply to donations to one of your shops?
Yes. You can ask to fill in a Gift Aid declaration form in any of our shops. Please read our Retail Gift Aid terms and conditions for more information.
Can I call you if I have any further questions?
If you have any further questions about Gift Aid - or if your circumstances change - please call our friendly Customer Services team on 020 7012 6400, or email us at [email protected]
