About Gift Aid
Gift Aid is a government scheme that allows charities to reclaim tax on donations made by a UK taxpayer. This means that if you Gift Aid your donations, they will be worth 25% more to Children First at no extra cost to you.
If you tick to Gift Aid your donations, for every £1 you donate Children First can claim 25 pence of tax, turning your £1 into £1.25. This means we can reach even more children across Scotland, protecting them from harm and ensuring they grow up in safe, loving homes.
If you are a UK taxpayer, you can Gift Aid your personal donations. You do not have to be in full-time employment to Gift Aid your donations. You can still Gift Aid if you are on a pension or self-employed, as long as you have paid enough tax during the year to cover the amount we reclaim on your donations (i.e. 25% of the total value of that year’s donations). Please note that VAT and council tax do not count. We cannot claim Gift Aid on donations you have collected from other people, or on payments that were made in return for services or tangible benefits.
No, Gift Aid will not change your tax status or cause any additional costs to you.
If you are a higher rate taxpayer, we can reclaim the basic rate of tax on your donations; this is 25p for every £1 you donate. If you would like to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your self-assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code.
You can cancel your declaration at any time. You will need to do this if you stop paying enough UK Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax to cover the amount we reclaim on your donations each tax year. To cancel or update your declaration, either email us at fundraising@childrenfirst.org.uk, or call us on 0345 10 80 111, quoting your supporter number, if you have one.