Gift Aid FAQ

Gift Aid is an initiative that allows charities to claim an extra 25% of your donation from the Government. As soon as you give your permission by completing a Gift Aid declaration form, we can claim the tax back on your donation. This means that a £10 donation will be worth £12.50.
 

Am I eligible to gift aid my donation?

You are eligible to Gift Aid your donation if:

  • You are a UK tax payer

  • The Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax you pay in that year is at least equal to the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all of your donations in that tax year. (If you pay less tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all your donations in that tax year it is your responsibility to pay any difference.)

Even if you are not employed, you are still eligible if you are paying tax on any of the following:

  • personal or occupational pension

  • stocks and shares

  • bank and building society savings accounts

  • rental income

  • overseas and UK investment dividend

 

Why might my donation not be gift aided?

According to HMRC rules, some donations are not eligible for Gift Aid. If your donation falls into any of the following categories, Gift Aid should not be claimed:

  • Donations made by anyone that is not a UK taxpayer

  • Donations made on behalf of someone else or a group of people – e.g. collections are not eligible to gift aid, even if all of the donors are UK taxpayers. HMRC needs a Gift Aid declaration from each of the donors contributing to the collection. Should you wish to ask people to complete a declaration, you can request one from our Fundraising Team on 01482 785743 or fundraising@dovehouse.org.uk.

  • For challenges, such as oversees treks or skydives, close connections to the voluntary fundraiser (i.e. family) must not Gift Aid their donations.

  • Donations made in return for something – e.g a donation in return for a ticket to attend an event, or a raffle ticket

  • Donations made on behalf of a company - 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 can I make sure Dove House can claim Gift Aid on sponsorship money?

The easiest thing to do is to set up an online fundraising page using JustGiving or Much Loved. These sites will collect Gift Aid declarations when people donate to your page so Dove House will be able to claim Gift Aid on those donations.
If you don't want to set up an online page, you can request a sponsorship form from the Fundraising Team (fundraising@dovehouse.org.uk or 01482 785743) and make sure that anyone sponsoring you who is eligible for Gift Aid, completes all the required fields and ticks the Gift Aid box. This will make sure their Gift Aid declaration is valid.
 

Can I gift aid a funeral collection?

No, funeral collections are not eligible to gift aid, even if all the donors are UK taxpayers. HMRC needs a Gift Aid declaration from each of the donors contributing to the collection. Should you wish to ask people to complete a declaration, you can request one from our Fundraising Team on 01482 785743 or fundraising@dovehouse.org.uk.
 

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

Please let us know if any of your circumstances change so that we can update on our systems.
 

How do I cancel my declaration?

If you are no longer eligible to Gift Aid your donations, please inform the Fundraising Team (fundraising@dovehouse.org.uk or 01482 785743) and we will stop reclaiming tax on your donations immediately.