Tax and Gift Aid

Charity status and charitable tax status are not the same thing, and registering with the regulator does not register you with HMRC. Recognition has to be applied for separately, and a charity too small to have to register with a regulator can still hold it.

Gift Aid adds a quarter to every pound donated while the basic rate stands where it does — the figure follows the basic rate and is not fixed. It is also where the risk is, because the declaration wording and the record-keeping rules are precise, and HMRC does come and look.

Understand

Explainers for this part are not published yet.

Look up

Glossary

• HMRC
• Connected person
• VAT
• Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS)
• Retention schedule
• Clawback
• Audit trail
• Charities Online
• Enduring declaration
• Fit and proper persons test
• Fundraising event
• Gift Aid declaration
• HMRC recognition
• Nominee
• Primary purpose trading

Tools

• Donor benefit calculator — Tool: planned
• GASDS calculator — Tool: planned
• Gift Aid eligibility checker — Tool: planned
• Small trading exemption calculator — Tool: planned
• VAT registration checker — Tool: planned

Templates

• Donor benefits schedule — Template: planned
• Fit and proper declaration — Template: planned
• Fundraising event register — Template: planned
• GASDS community buildings comparison — Template: planned
• GASDS record sheet — Template: planned
• Gift Aid declaration — Template: planned
• Gift Aid record checklist — Template: planned
• Gift Aid self-review — Template: planned
• Income classification record — Template: planned
• Trading exemption assessment — Template: planned
• VAT registration assessment — Template: planned
• VAT relief declaration — Template: planned