Gift Aid

Gift Aid is a Government scheme that allows your parish to reclaim the tax that you have paid on contributions to the Church.  It works like this:

If you are a taxpayer and give £10 to your parish you will have paid tax on that amount.  The parish can get back from the Inland Revenue the sum of £2.80 with Gift Aid so your donation of £10 would become worth £12.80.

How do I sign up for Gift Aid?

 All you have to do is fill in a Gift Aid form that requires you to:

•  Give your name, address and date.

•  Sign the declaration saying you pay tax and that you pay more tax than the amount we will reclaim.

You can Gift Aid all donations to the Church providing the amount of tax you have paid (from wage, salary, pension or investments) is more than the amount claimed.

How does Gift Aid work?

Once you have signed the Gift Aid form, the parish will keep a record of how much you have given.

There is a choice of how to make your contributions:  

• Direct debit    

• Cheque

• Numbered envelope

Money just placed in the basket cannot be included for Gift Aid because there is no way of recording the amount you give.

Can both husband and wife make a donation with Gift Aid?

Yes.  If you both pay tax, you should both sign a Gift Aid form and make sure the parish knows who is giving what.  For example you may both want to have your own set of numbered envelopes or you can tell us how you want the donation split, if for example you pay by cheque or have a joint bank account.

What happens to higher rate taxpayers?

If you pay the higher rate of tax, you can also get back some of the tax that you have paid for yourself when you complete your tax return.   What this means if that if, for example, you give  £1000 in a year and Gift Aid it, the parish not only gets an extra £280, but you get back £230 as well,  so it costs you only £769.60 to give  £1280.

Is Gift Aid confidential?

The amount you give will be completely confidential and you do not have to tell anyone how much you earn or any other personal details.    That is why we use numbered envelopes and only the Gift Aid administrator can match the number to the giver.

Who is the Gift Aid administrator in St Peter and St Paul’s Harlington?

XXXXX administers the Gift Aid scheme in the parish and she would be pleased to provide further information and answer any questions you may have.

XXXXX can provide you with a Gift Aid form, bank form for direct debit or a set of numbered envelopes.