Fact File 7: Gift Aid

Give that little bit extra to mountain rescue with Gift Aid

Q: How does Gift Aid work?

A Gift Aid declaration from you allows us to claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give. And it doesn’t cost you a penny extra.

As a charity, we take your donation (which is money you’ve already paid tax on) and reclaim basic rate tax from the government on its gross equivalent (the amount before basic rate tax was deducted).

Q: Does every donation qualify for Gift Aid?

No. In order to qualify, the donor must:

• Have paid the same amount or more in Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax in that tax year
• Make a Gift Aid declaration that gives us permission to claim it.

CAF Give As You Earn donations are not Gift Aid eligible as they are taken from your salary pre-tax.

Q: How do I make a donation using Gift Aid?

To make a Gift Aid donation, you’ll need to make a Gift Aid declaration. You can include all donations from the last four years and you must tell us about any tax years where you didn’t pay enough tax.

A Gift Aid declaration must include:

• Our charity name
• Your name
• Your home address
• Whether the declaration covers past, present or future donations or just a single donation
• A statement that you wish Gift Aid to apply (this could be a tick box on a written or online declaration)
• An explanation that you need to pay the same amount or more of UK Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax as we will claim on your gift in a tax year and that you are responsible to pay any difference.

Q: What if I’m running a sponsored event?

You can download an official MREW sponsor form here. The form includes:

• A Gift Aid declaration
• The total collected
• The date that pledged donations were collected
• The date when the sum collected are handed over to us.

Q: Can I make a joint declaration?

Yes. Married couples, couples in a civil partnership or people living at the same address can make declarations on the same form. Only one donor needs to sign.

Q: How do I know whether I’ve paid enough tax to qualify for Gift Aid?

Your donations will qualify as long as they’re not more than four times what you have paid in tax in that tax year (6 April to 5 April). The tax could have been paid on income or capital gains.

Q: What if I am a higher rate taxpayer?

If you’re a higher rate taxpayer, you can claim additional tax benefits for the donations you make to charity, which you can keep or pass on to a charitable organisation. Simply indicate how much you’ve donated when completing your tax self-assessment form.

Find out more about Gift Aid from gov.uk/donating-to-charity/gift-aid

Q: How do I make a Gift Aid declaration?

A Gift Aid declaration can be made either in writing or verbally.

As a donor you must give us authority to reclaim tax from the government on the gift. All we need is a single Gift Aid declaration, which will cover both your future donations and donations you have made for the six years prior. You can download the Mountain Rescue England and Wales Gift Aid declaration form and send it to us.

Please also let us know if you change your name or address by emailing financialdirector@mountain.rescue.org.uk.

Q: Can I cancel a Gift Aid declaration?

You can cancel your declaration at any time, for example, if you no longer pay UK tax. Cancellation will not affect the Gift Aid donations already made. Once a declaration has been cancelled, further donations you will not qualify.

You can cancel a verbal declaration within 30 days of receiving a letter from us confirming the declaration.