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This article does not constitute advice. Professional advice should be taken prior to acting on any part of it. The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate tax advice.
Christmas is a time for giving. How to donating to charities and claim tax relief
Christmas is a great time to donate to charity. And, many charities will be grateful for the extra donation at this time of year.
Instead of sending out Christmas cards to colleagues and friends you could choose to gift the money to a local charity or a charity that is personal to you.
Our article, ‘Save tax with charitable donations’ looks at how to donate as a sole trader and limited company. This article focusses on Gift Aid.
Gift Aid rules
Donating as an individual will be tax free if you donate through Gift Aid or if you are donating straight from your wages through Payroll Giving.
Charities and community amateur sports clubs (CASC) must register with HMRC to be included on the Gift Aid register. Once the registration is complete, they can claim back the tax you’ve paid on your donation.
By donating through Gift Aid, the charity or CASC can claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated.
It’s important to note that if the charity or CASC, claim back more tax than what you paid, HMRC may ask you to pay back more tax to cover the difference.
Higher rate tax payers
If you are a higher rate or additional rate tax payer you can claim the difference between the rate you pay and the basic rate on your donation. You can do this through your self-assessment tax return or by contacting HMRC to amend your tax code.
Claiming tax relief sooner
With Gift Aid, you can you claim tax relief on the donations you make in the current tax year. This is available if you want the tax relief sooner or if you aren’t a higher tax rate payer in the current year, but you were in the previous year.