HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

What is Gift Aid?

If you pay tax in the UK, then Gift Aid is a simple way to increase the value of your gift to a charity.  Making your donation using Gift Aid will enable the charity to reclaim the basic rate tax on your gift to them.  This means that if you give £10 to charity using Gift Aid in the tax year 2003-04, that gift is worth £12.82 to the charity

You can make payments by cash, cheque, postal order, direct debit, standing order, debit or credit card or even in a foreign currency (including the euro).

Subject to a few rules, you can give any amount, large or small, regular or one-off and the charity can reclaim the tax.

If you are a higher rate taxpayer, you can claim relief on the difference between the basic rate and higher rate of tax.

If you do not pay tax, you should not use Gift Aid.

How does my gift qualify for Gift Aid?

Your chosen charity will normally ask you to consider making your donation using Gift Aid.  They will give you a simple form to complete declaring that you wish to make donations under Gift Aid.

The charity can only reclaim the basic rate of tax if you have paid enough tax in the tax year to cover the amount reclaimed on your gifts.  The tax year runs from 6 April one year to 5 April the next.

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Please click HERE to go to the Samaritans UK web site.

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