Parish Support - Gift Aid

What is Gift Aid? 

Gift Aid enables basic rate tax to be reclaimed by registered charities on donations they have received. Donors must pay sufficient UK tax to cover the tax reclaimed on their donations. A declaration must also be in place to trace all donations claimed upon.

Higher rate tax payers can claim higher rate relief on the payments by entering the donations in the gift aid box on their self assessment tax return. For further details please see our page on Higher Rate Tax payers.

Please note, from April 6th 2011, parishes are able to claim tax refunds of 25% of the net sums received under Gift Aid as the 3% Transitional Relief has now ended, reducing Gift Aid tax refunds to churches. This will costs churches across the Diocese nearly £150,000 in lost Gift Aid in total per annum.

Please review the current level of giving to your local church and prayerfully consider increasing your giving to cover any losses from the reduction in Gift Aid. For further information click here

How can we help?

Approximately two thirds of the parishes in this Diocese make use of our services for their Gift Aid claims. The advantages of this are as follows :-

• Preparation of claims
• Declaration care
• High standard of service
• Regular claims
• Gift Aid Secretary support
• Audits

 There is a small charge for this service.

All Parishes claiming Gift Aid tax refunds through our diocesan Gift Aid Administrator will be aware that Internal Audits were introduced in 2009, avoiding the need for future full Inland Revenue audits. The results of the first three years' audits are very encouraging.

If you have any queries regarding Gift Aid, please contact our Gift Aid Administrator, Jill Stanforth, at jillstanforth@southwell.anglican.org  or telephone on 01636 817201