What is Gift Aid?

You can make a Gift Aid declaration to Open Doors if you are a UK taxpayer by completing a form here. If you are making a donation to Open Doors on our website, you will have the option to set up a declaration during that process.

Alternatively you can make a Gift Aid declaration over the phone by calling us on 01993 460015, or you can request a form in the post by emailing supporterservicesfinance@opendoorsuk.org.

In order for the tax to be reclaimed, the gift must come from a source of income that has been taxed by income tax or capital gains tax. Other taxes such as VAT and Council tax do not count. Gift Aid cannot be claimed by a charity where inheritance tax has been paid.

Gift Aid cannot also be reclaimed on the following:

• If your donation is on behalf of someone else or a group of people eg. a collection from a prayer group or work colleagues
• If you are making a donation on behalf of a church, school, company or other organisation;
• If you have bought something such as an online resource
• Proceeds from the sale of goods or services (e.g. bake sale, a coffee morning or a craft sale)
• On collections uplifted (could we use “collected” instead?) at an event and paid to the charity as a single amount from an individual
• On sponsorship money collected and paid to the charity as a single amount unless it is accompanied by a sponsorship form, or on an online platform where the individual's details Gift Aid status is clearly marked (please note full addresses including postcodes of individuals are needed to claim Gift Aid)
• On money collected from multiple individuals in a collection box and donated as single amount from an individual

If you are having a collection in a church/group, the easiest way of ensuring that gifts are Gift Aided is by using Gift Aid envelopes, where a Gift Aid declaration can be made and the amount of the gift and the identity of the supporter given, all on a single form.

Please do call us on 01993 460015 or email us at supporterservicesfinance@opendoorsuk.org if you require Gift Aid envelopes or you can fill in a Gift Aid declaration form.

Gift Aid cannot be reclaimed on:

• donations from a church, school, company or other organisation;
• proceeds from the sale of goods or services (e.g. bake sale, a coffee morning or a craft sale);
• collections taken at an event and paid as a single amount from an individual;
• sponsorship money collected and paid to the charity as a single amount unless it is accompanied by a sponsorship form, or on an online platform where the individual's details Gift Aid status is clearly marked (please note full addresses including postcodes of individuals are needed to claim Gift Aid);
• money collected from multiple individuals in a collection box and donated as single amount from an individual.

If you are operating your business as a Sole Trader or a Partnership, tax can be reclaimed on gifts from business accounts through the Gift Aid scheme, by completing a Gift Aid declaration.

Tax on charitable donations from other business accounts can be reclaimed through corporation tax, on a business tax return.

Open Doors can still reclaim the tax if you pay tax at the lower rate, or are not in regular employment. Provided that we do not claim more back in tax, in any financial year, than you have paid to HMRC in tax, then we can make the claim.

Unlike previous Gift Aid systems (before April 2000) there is no minimum amount, no restriction over where the gift can be used, and there is no need to commit to a set amount of giving over a specific period. Unlike other countries, Gift Aid is claimed by the charity, and not by the supporter.

Open Doors are only able to reclaim tax from the UK government.

Many countries operate a Gift Aid scheme where tax on charitable donations is repaid to the supporter, rather than the charity. Therefore you may be able to reclaim the tax on your donations, and we would of course be extremely grateful if you chose to send that reclaimed tax to Open Doors. However, this is not something we can facilitate.

Open Doors can only reclaim tax at the basic rate for all supporters. For Higher rate taxpayer, there is a section on your tax return where you can reclaim the extra tax on your charitable donations, and specify the charity(ies) that you would like this extra tax sent to.

Yes, tax can be claimed on gifts from a joint bank account, where one of the couple is a taxpayer and the other is not. If the gift is coming from a joint bank account, only one gift aid declaration (from a/the tax-payer) is needed to reclaim the tax. If the gift is made by cheque, it can be signed by either partner (it does not need to be signed by the taxpayer).

Please contact us (01993 460015 or supporterservicesfinance@opendoorsuk.org) with your name, address and the date of when you stopped paying UK tax. We will cancel the Gift Aid declaration and ensure no further tax is reclaimed on your gifts.

No, the declaration given on the website covers present, future and past donations. Unless you advise us otherwise, we will claim gift aid in respect of gifts given over the previous 4 tax years and will continue to claim Gift Aid on donations you make until you tell us otherwise.

Please contact us (01993 460015 or supporterservicesfinance@opendoorsuk.org) with your name, address, that you want to exclude a gift from Gift Aid and the details of when you made the donation that you want to exclude.

If you have questions, or if your circumstances change, please get in touch: 01993 460015 or supporterservicesfinance@opendoorsuk.org.