Gift Aid

Gift Aid is a government scheme that allows us to reclaim the basic rate tax you pay as a UK taxpayer. It means that we can claim 25p of tax for every £1 you donate at no extra cost to you. All you need to do is make a Gift Aid declaration.

How to make a Gift Aid declaration

  • Tick the Gift Aid box when you donate via Just Giving and other donation platforms
  • Complete our Gift Aid Declaration online form (fill out below)
  • Print our editable Gift Aid declaration and post it to us at DSUK, PO BOX 38, Chesterfield, S43 9EB
  • Call us to make a declaration over the phone.

Once completed, please remember to let us know of any changes to your tax status, including changes to your name and address, so we can ensure that no further claims are made against your donations.

Gift aid declaration form

Frequently Asked Questions

Gift Aid can be applied to all voluntary donations of money, large or small, providing they are made by an individual who pays sufficient UK tax.

Your declaration will cover all cash, cheque, postal order, Direct Debit, standing order and credit or debit card donations.

It will not be applied to donations received from tax efficient payment schemes. These include Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) payments or payroll gifts, as tax relief has already been claimed.

To qualify for Gift Aid you need to:

  • be a UK taxpayer
  • have paid or expect to pay enough income or capital gains tax in the tax year your gift was received to cover all the Gift Aid donations you made to charity that year
  • make a Gift Aid declaration
  • ensure you paid enough tax to cover the donations you made in the previous four years if you are completing an enduring Gift Aid declaration (a declaration applied to future donations).

The basic rate of tax we claim is currently 20% on the gross value of your gift (that’s the same as 25% on the net).

You must remember to let us know if your tax status changes in the future, otherwise you could be liable for any shortfall.

For more help please visit the Gift Aid page on Gov.uk.

No, you only need to make a declaration once. We’ll keep this declaration as your enduring permission to claim Gift Aid tax relief on all donations. It will cover the previous four years, the current year and any donations you might make to us in the future.

If you haven’t paid tax to cover your past donations or you stop paying tax in the future, please let us know as soon as possible, otherwise we’ll keep on claiming and this could result in us receiving tax relief we’re not entitled to, which could have implications for you.

If you have any questions, contact us by emailing [email protected] 

If you’re a higher rate taxpayer, we’re only able to claim the basic rate of tax on your donation.

However, you can claim the difference between the 20% we claim and the tax you pay when you submit your annual tax return.

You can cancel the declaration at any time by emailing your full name and address, including your postcode, to [email protected] . Please do this as soon as possible when you stop paying tax.

If you income is from state pensions alone, you are unlikely to qualify as you’d need to earn above the personal allowance threshold to pay income tax.

Depending on your circumstances, we advise that you check with your tax office before completing a declaration.

No, but you may wish to keep a record of donations you make to charity in each tax year. This will help ensure that you continue to pay enough tax to cover the payments you make under Gift Aid.

We only have four years in which to claim the tax relief on your donations. If donations you’ve made go back further than four years, we’ll only apply the tax relief to donations within the allowed period.