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About Gift Aid

Your donation can go further with Gift Aid. Please help us reach more families affected by dementia.

If you’re a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid is a government scheme that increases the value of your charity donations by 25%. This is because we can reclaim the basic rate of tax from HM Revenue & Customs on your gift at no extra cost to you. So for every £1 you give, we will receive £1.25.

Am I eligible for Gift Aid?

To be eligible you must be a UK taxpayer and pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the current tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all of your donations. This also applies if you pay tax on your savings, pension plan or investment income; but taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify.

When might I not be eligible for Gift Aid?

According to HMRC rules, 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 that 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, or a raffle ticket
  • Donations made on behalf of a company – as you can only make Gift Aid declarations on your own taxpayer status when spending your own money. However, the company can claim tax relief on the donation when donating directly to the charity

How do I sign up for Gift Aid?

All we need from you is a single Gift aid declaration, which will not only cover your future donations but also donations you have made for the past 4 years.

If you donate online all you have to do is tick the Gift Aid box on the donation form.

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Can I claim Gift Aid on the sponsorship donations I have raised?

To claim Gift Aid on your fundraising, we must have the first name or initials, last name, full home address and postcode of each individual donor/sponsor. So please encourage them to tick the Gift Aid box on your sponsorship form. Without these details we legally can’t claim Gift Aid so please check that your sponsors complete all parts of the form correctly!

Am I committing myself to giving regularly?

No, committing to Gift Aid doesn’t mean that you are committed to making future donations. However any money you may give in the future will be covered by the declaration.

What if I am a high rate taxpayer?

If you’re a high rate taxpayer, you can claim additional tax benefits for the donations you make to charity, which you can keep or pass onto a charitable organisation. Simply indicate how much you gave in your Self Assessment Tax Return.

What should I do if I move house or change my name?

Please let us know if your circumstances change so that we can keep your records up to date.

How do I cancel my declaration?

If your circumstances change and you no longer pay enough income or capital gains tax to cover the amount claimed by Dementia UK, simply inform us in writing or over the telephone, and we will stop reclaiming tax on your donations immediately.

For further information please contact Supporter Care at supportercare@dementiauk.org or call the team on 0300 365 5500.

Read HMRC’s full Gift Aid guidelines