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Gift Aid

Make every £1 you donate go further with Gift Aid

Signing up for Gift Aid is a simple and powerful way to boost the value of your donations.

What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid is a simple way to increase the value of your gift to Practical Action – at no extra cost to you. If you’re a UK tax payer, the UK Government will add 25p to every £1 you donate. It doesn’t cost you any extra, and it makes even more life-changing work possible.

By signing up to Gift Aid, your gifts will be worth 25% more.

To qualify for Gift Aid, you must pay as much UK income and/or capital gains tax as Practical Action (and any other organisation you may support) will reclaim in each tax year (6 April – 5 April). That’s currently 25p for every £1 you donate. For more information about eligibility, read the Gift Aid FAQs below.

You can sign up to Gift Aid today. Look out for the Gift Aid declaration on any of our donation forms, complete the online form below or download and print a copy to send to us via the freepost address provided.

    Gift Aid Declaration

    Please tick the box below to indicate your agreement with the following statement.

    I would like Practical Action to treat this donation and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past 4 years as Gift Aid donations. I am a UK taxpayer and I understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in the tax year it is my responsibility to pay the difference. The tax reclaimed will be used to fund the whole of Practical Action’s work.

    We will post you information about our work, fundraising activities and ways to get involved. If you are happy for us to provide this information by phone or email please provide your details:

    We take protecting your personal information seriously. We will never sell or swap your details with another organisation. We aim to provide you with a great experience of Practical Action and to communicate with every supporter in the best way possible. To do this, we may analyse your data and obtain further information about interests, preferences and level of potential donations using publicly available sources. We sometimes ask carefully selected companies to do this for us.

    You can find out more about how we collect and use your personal information by reading our privacy notice at https://practicalaction.org/privacy-notice/. To change how we manage your personal information or opt out of receiving communications from Practical Action call us on 0800 389 1624 email [email protected].

    Your declaration covers any donation you are kind enough to make to us in the future and for the four years prior. Therefore please notify us if you change your name or address. You can cancel this declaration at any time by letting us know in writing. You may need to do this if your tax status changes. If you pay tax at the higher rate, you can claim further tax relief in your Self-Assessment tax return.

    • Frequently Asked Questions

      What is Gift Aid?

      Gift Aid is a simple way to increase the value of your gift to Practical Action – at no extra cost to you. If you pay tax in the UK, Practical Action can reclaim the basic rate tax (25%) on your gift. So, if you donate £20.00 it is worth £25.00. A Gift Aid declaration is a statement by an individual taxpayer that they want a charity to receive the tax paid on their donation back from the government.

       

      What is the minimum value of a Gift Aid donation?

      There is no longer a minimum value. Provided you have paid the necessary income and/or capital gains tax, all gifts of all sizes are eligible.

       

       

      How do I know if my donations are eligible for Gift Aid?

      In order for Practical Action to reclaim the tax you have paid on your donations, you must have paid income and/or capital gains tax (in the UK) for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) at least equal to the tax that all the charities or Community Amateur Sports Club that you donate to will reclaim on your gifts for that tax year.  Other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify.

      You are eligible for Gift Aid if you can say yes to any of the following:

      • You pay income tax on paid employment
      • You pay income tax on a private pension scheme
      • You pay income tax on savings
      • You have recently paid capital gains tax on the sale of property or shares – or expect to pay it in the near future
      • You pay tax on Self Assessment

       

       

       

      I’m not a taxpayer but my partner is. Can I still Gift Aid?

      Yes, absolutely, so long as your donations are made from a joint account which includes your partner’s name. When you give joint donations with your partner, we only require a declaration from one person. This can be either of you, but whoever signs it needs to have paid enough tax in each year to cover the Gift Aid that will be claimed on your joint donations each tax year.

       

       

      I’ve paid tax on and off over the last four years, can I Gift Aid my donations at those times?

      Yes, if you let us know the dates that you were paying sufficient tax we can update our records accordingly and claim the right amount at the right time.

       

       

      What if I donate via CAF or any other tax efficient giving scheme?

      Your CAF donations (or donations via any other tax efficient giving scheme) are already tax efficient, so we automatically exclude them from Gift Aid. You may have also made gifts by a different payment method which may be eligible. By ticking the declaration form we will not claim anything on your CAF donations but it will ensure that any other gifts you give are covered.

       

       

      What if I’m a pensioner?

      You might still pay tax on a private pensions scheme or savings account, or pay capital gains tax if you sell property or shares. You can check with your pensions advisor. The amount of tax you have paid needs to be more than the amount we will reclaim in each tax year (6 April to 5 April).

       

       

      What if I am a higher rate taxpayer?

      Practical Action can only reclaim on your gift at the basic rate. If you are a higher rate tax payer, you can claim the difference between the higher rate of 40% and the basic rate of 20% in your Self Assessment return.

       

       

      What happens if I stop paying tax?

      Just let us know the date and we will take care of the rest.  You can call us on 0800 389 1624 or email [email protected].

       

       

      What happens if I move or change my name?

      Just let us know as soon as possible so that we can amend your record.  You can call us on 0800 389 1624 or email [email protected].

       

       

      Can I cancel my Gift Aid declaration?

      Yes, you can cancel it at any time by writing to us at Supporter Services Team, The Robbins Building 25 Albert Street, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 2SD or emailing [email protected]