FAQs about Gift Aid

Gift Aid is a government scheme which means registered charities can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give. And it doesn’t cost you a penny: all you have to do is to complete a Gift Aid declaration.

If every tax-paying ActionAid supporter ticked the Gift Aid box, we could claim an extra £1 million to support even more women and girls. 

You’re eligible for Gift Aid if both of the following are true:

For example, if you’ve donated £10 you’ll need to have paid at least £2.50 in tax during the current tax year to qualify for Gift Aid.

This includes your donations to us and any other charities you support. 

To sign up for Gift Aid you have to complete a Gift Aid declaration. There are several ways you can do this:

Tick the Gift Aid box on the donation form when you make a donation

Fill in our Gift Aid declaration form or sign up over the phone by calling 01460 238 000 between Monday and Friday, 10am to 4pm. 

It’s a statement made by an individual taxpayer that they want a charity to claim from HMRC the tax paid on their donation. This simple process will add 25 per cent to the value of your gift to ActionAid without costing you a single penny more. For example, with Gift Aid a £10 donation will be worth £12.50 and for every £50 gift, we will actually receive £62.50.  

Claiming Gift Aid can significantly increase the income for ActionAid, at no extra cost to you, meaning you’ll be supporting even more women and girls around the world who are creating the futures they want. 

To qualify for Gift Aid on every £1 you donate to ActionAid in any financial year (from 6 April to 5 April the following year), you must be a UK taxpayer and have paid sufficient Income or Capital Gains Tax in the same financial year. For example, if you donate £100 then you must have paid £25 in Income or Capital Gains Tax in the same financial year for your entire £100 donation to qualify for Gift Aid.  

This could be tax paid on your wages, savings, investments or pension. However, Inheritance Tax, Council Tax and VAT do not qualify towards Gift Aid.   

If you haven’t paid enough tax to cover Gift Aid on your donations, HMRC will ask you to pay this back.

So if you stop paying enough tax to qualify for Gift Aid, let us know as soon as possible, by emailing supportercontact@actionaid.org or phoning 01460 238 000.

If you’re no longer eligible for Gift Aid, it’s your responsibility to let us know so that we can no longer claim tax on your donations 

If you are eligible for Gift Aid during this tax year you can specify when you’d like ActionAid to start claiming Gift Aid on your behalf by emailing supportercontact@actionaid.org or phoning 01460 238 000. 

If you pay 40% or 45% tax, you can claim the difference between the higher rate of tax and the basic rate (20%) on your donation through a Self Assessment tax return. ActionAid can only directly claim back at the basic rate, but please complete and return the declaration so that we can claim 25p on every £1 you donate.  

Get more information on the HMRC website or ask your accountant. 

If you pay a lower rate (10% or 20%), ActionAid can still claim back 25p for each £1 you donate, provided you pay enough tax to cover the claim in the tax year you make the donation. 

You may still pay tax on a private pension plan or a savings account or pay Capital Gains Tax if you sell property or shares. If so, you are eligible to complete a Gift Aid declaration.

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

If this is your only source of income, we advise that you check with your tax office before completing a declaration. 

Non-residents with UK income or capital gains charges equal to the gross amount of donation can sign up for Gift Aid.  

You pay Income or Capital Gains taxes if: 

Thank you! You only need to sign up for Gift Aid once. We’ll be able to claim Gift Aid on donations you’ve made in the past four years, as well as any future donations.

If your contact details or circumstances change, you’ll need to let us know by emailing supportercontact@actionaid.org or phoning 01460 238 000. 

You can support as many UK charities as you like through Gift Aid. All you need to do is complete a Gift Aid declaration for each charity that you support and ensure you are paying enough tax during the tax year to cover your total annual donations. 

Once you’ve signed up for Gift Aid, it’s your responsibility to let us know if there’s a change in:

Your contact details, such as your name or address

Your circumstances, for example if you no longer pay enough tax to qualify for Gift Aid

Contact our supporter care team by emailing supportercontact@actionaid.org or phoning 01460 238 000. 

You can cancel Gift Aid by emailing supportercontact@actionaid.org, phoning 01460 238 000 or writing to Supporter Contact team, ActionAid, Chard Business Park, Jarman Way, Chard, TA20 1FB. 

If you’re raising money through JustGiving, the Gift Aid process is automatic. You don’t need to do anything.  

Everyone who donates will need to sign up individually for Gift Aid.

We can claim Gift Aid on donations you’ve collected from other people. But we can’t use your personal Gift Aid declaration for this. 

Some donations aren’t eligible for Gift Aid.

Gift Aid doesn’t apply if: