PARISH FINANCE

Parish Gift Aid Scheme

What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a Government scheme that allow us to reclaim the tax that you have paid on your donation.  It works like this.

If you are a taxpayer and give £10 to support your parish you will have paid tax on that amount.  We can get £2.80 back with Gift Aid so your donation of £10 would become worth £12.80 and it wouldn’t cost you an extra penny!

Here are some examples of how much extra money we could get in just one year.

Weekly Amount Given Total Given after One Year Extra Money from Gift Aid Total Amount with Gift Aid
£3 £156 £43.68 £199.68
£5 £260 £72.80 £332.80
£10 £520 £145.60 £665.60

How do I sign up for Gift Aid?
All you have to do is to fill in a Gift Aid form that requires you to:
Give your name, your address, the date and the name of our Parish.
Sign a declaration saying that you are a UK taxpayer and that you pay more tax than the amount that your parish will reclaim.

How much tax must I pay?
You can Gift Aid all your donations providing the amount of tax that you”ve paid (from your wages, salary, pension or investments) is more than the amount claimed.  For example, if you give your parish £250 over a year, you will need to have paid at least £70 in tax.

How does Gift Aid work?
Once you have signed up for Gift Aid, a record will be kept of how much you have given.  So you will be asked to put all your donations in special numbered envelopes or to pay by bankers order or cheque.  “Loose plate donations can’t be included because there is no record of the amount given.

What happen if I change my mind, stop paying tax or move?
You can increase the amount that you give or you can stop giving at any time.  You must tell us if you stop paying tax or if you change your address.

Can both a husband and wife make a donation with Gift Aid?
Yes.  If you both pay tax, you should both sign a Gift Aid form and make sure that we know who is giving what.  For example, you may both want to have your own set of numbered envelopes or you can tell us how you want the donation split if, for example, you pay by cheque and have a joint bank account.

What if I already have a covenant?
We can still get back the tax that you’ve paid with your covenant but, if you want to change the amount that you give, you will need to sign a Gift Aid form.

What does it cost to Gift Aid?
Nothing! You do not have to give more. You just continue to donate what you are already giving. The parish only reclaims Income Tax, which you have already paid so your Tax position will not be affected. You will not have to pay additional Income Tax.

Are Gift Aids Confidential?
Yes, at every stage. There is no need to disclose what you earn, how much Tax you pay or any other personal financial matters.

What happens to higher rate taxpayers?
If you pay the higher rate of tax, you can also get some of the tax that you have paid for yourself when you complete your tax return.  What this means is that if, for example, you give £100 and Gift Aid it, your parish not only gets an extra £28 but you get £23.04 back as well. So it only costs you £76.96 to give £128.