FAQs – sign up for Gift Aid
Gift Aid is a simple way of increasing your donation to Sex Matters without paying a penny more. If you pay tax in the UK, we can reclaim the basic rate of tax you have paid on your gift. This increases the value of your donations by 25%. So, if you donate £100, that works out as £125 for the fight to protect sex-based rights.
How do I sign up to give Gift Aid?
The process is really easy – all you need to do is make a Gift Aid declaration.
The easiest way when donating online is to tick the Gift Aid box on the donation form and add your home address.
If you are already a supporter, you can sign up now to add Gift Aid to your donation. Gift Aid will then be applied to all your donations since 1st July 2024.
Do my donations qualify for Gift Aid?
Your donation qualifies for Gift Aid if you pay tax in the UK and have signed the Gift Aid declaration. Every £1 that you donate with Gift Aid is worth £1.25 to Sex Matters at no extra cost to you.
Do I qualify for Gift Aid?
In order for Sex Matters to reclaim the tax you have paid on your donations, you must have paid income or capital gains tax (in the UK) for each tax year (6th April to 5th April) at least equal to the tax that all the charities to which you donate will reclaim on your gifts for that tax year. Other taxes such as VAT and council tax do not qualify.
How do I sign up?
- Make the donation and Gift Aid declaration. If you are self-employed, remember to fill out the section for charitable giving on your self-assessment tax return in order to claim the additional tax relief. You don’t need to declare which charities you donate to, just the total value of your charitable donations under Gift Aid.
- Keep records. It is important for you to keep records of your donations and Gift Aid declarations to provide evidence if required by HMRC – we will email you a receipt.
If you are employed and pay tax through PAYE (Pay As You Earn), you can contact HMRC to adjust your tax code. This will reflect the additional relief and reduce the amount of tax deducted from your salary automatically. Find out more from HMRC.
What if I am not a UK resident?
Overseas residents can use Gift Aid for donations to UK charities if they pay enough UK income tax or capital-gains tax to cover the amount reclaimed by the charity. They need to follow the same steps as UK-based taxpayers and complete the Gift Aid declaration on the donation form for Sex Matters. Find out more from HMRC.
If I stop paying tax can I withdraw Gift Aid?
If your tax circumstances change and you will no longer be paying enough tax to cover the Gift Aid claim, please let us know: email [email protected] with the subject “Gift Aid”.
I’m a pensioner. Do my donations qualify?
You are eligible for Gift Aid if you have paid enough tax this year to cover the amount we would reclaim on your donations. Income from state pensions alone is unlikely to meet this threshold, but if you are still paying tax on a private pension plan, savings account or capital gains you may still qualify for Gift Aid.
Does my declaration cover all donations to you, including different tax years?
The Gift Aid declaration can cover past donations (starting from 1st July 2024), as well as future ones, as long as you have paid enough tax in the relevant year.
What if I’ve already signed up for Gift Aid for another charity?
That’s fine. You can Gift Aid donations to multiple charities, as long as you pay enough tax to cover the total amount the charities will reclaim.