What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid is a simple way to increase the value of a donation to charity.  If you are a UK taxpayer, the charity could claim 25p on every £1 donated from the Government at no extra cost to you. 

This means that if you donate £10, and can Gift Aid, it’s actually worth £12.50. Which is great news for our beneficiaries helping us meet our mission to help veterans and their families recover and get on with their lives.

How does Gift Aid work?

As a UK taxpayer, you will pay tax on your earnings, pensions or savings, at either a basic rate of 20% or a higher rate of 40%.

Therefore, as you have paid tax on your income that you are then donating to charity, the Government allows the charity to reclaim this tax back.

Do I qualify for Gift Aid?

You can complete a Gift Aid declaration for charities if the amount of UK income tax or capital gains tax you’ve paid in any tax year (from 6th April on year to 5 April the next) covers the amount of tax charities will reclaim on your donations.

For advice on how to check if you’ve paid enough tax to use Gift Aid, please visit the HMRC website.

How do I Gift Aid my donations?

In order to sign up for Gift Aid, you just need to complete a Gift Aid declaration or download and complete our donation form containing a declaration here and post it into us.

Which donations qualify for Gift Aid?

Gift Aid can only be claimed on personal donations

Gift Aid cannot be claimed on

  • Donations on behalf of a group of people;
  • Raffles and Auctions
  • Collections, however under some circumstances Gift Aid can be claimed where we have declarations from the individual donors. Please call us to discuss further
  • In some circumstances where you are a participant in a sponsored event (including a Challenge) for which the charity has borne some or all the cost, or if you are related to the participant. If you have registered for a Help for Heroes Challenge then please read your fundraising pack with reference to Gift Aid or alternatively visit the Government Gift Aid page for charities.

CLAIMING BACK HIGHER RATE TAX

I am a higher rate taxpayer – what does this mean for me?

If you are a higher rate taxpayer, you can also claim back the difference between the higher rate of tax (40%) and the basic rate (20%) on the total (gross) value of your donation to us. 

For more information on claiming back higher rate tax please visit the HMRC website

IMPORTANT

You can cancel your declarations at any time, please call our Supporter Care Team on 0300 303 9888, or email donations@helpforheroes.org.uk

Please notify us if you change your name or address or if your tax status changes.

More Information from HMRC

For a full explanation of Gift Aid, visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/individuals/giving/gift-aid.htm

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