Gift Aid is a tax relief initiative from the UK Government that allows charities to reclaim the tax on donations made by individuals.

By signing up for Gift Aid, Blackburn Cathedral recover the tax you’ve already paid on your contributions.

This means that for every £1 you donate, we can claim an extra 25p from the government at no extra cost to you. For example, a £20 donation enables us to receive an additional £5.

With Gift Aid, we receive an additional 25% from the government for every donation you make.

For example, if you donate £100, we’ll claim £25 in Gift Aid. A £20 donation will grow to £25, with the extra £5 provided by the government. This benefit also applies to donations you’ve made over the past four years.

To be eligible for the Gift Aid scheme, you must be a UK taxpayer. This means one of the following applies to you:

• Income tax is deducted from your salary before it reaches you.

• You pay tax annually after completing a self-assessment form.

• You receive taxable income from a pension plan, savings, or investments.

• You’ve paid capital gains tax, such as on the sale of property or shares.

Additionally, the amount of tax you’ve paid in a tax year must be at least equal to the total amount Blackburn Cathedral and other charities will claim on your donations through Gift Aid.

For example, if you donate £100 in a single tax year, we’ll claim £25 in Gift Aid. You’ll need to have paid at least £25 in income or capital gains tax during that year.

You may still pay tax on income from a private pension plan, a savings account, or capital gains tax from selling property or shares. We suggest checking with your pension provider to confirm.

The tax you’ve paid must be at least equal to the amount we’ll reclaim in Gift Aid for each tax year. If you only receive the basic State Pension, you won’t pay Income Tax and therefore won’t be able to apply Gift Aid to your donations.

No. Gift Aid is taken from tax you have already paid so there is no charge to you and it won’t affect your tax status either.

Charities are only able to claim Gift Aid at the basic tax rate. However, if you’re a higher rate taxpayer, you can claim the difference between your higher tax rate and the basic rate through your self-assessment tax return. HMRC will refund the difference to you, and you have the option to donate this amount as well.

Charities are unable to claim Gift Aid on donations that meet any of the following criteria:

• The donor is not a UK taxpayer.

• The donation is made on behalf of another person or a group.

• The donation is made on behalf of a company.

• The donation supports a family member or friend participating in an event where the charity is covering some of their expenses.

• The donation is given in exchange for goods, services, or rights.

No, you don’t. Once you have completed a Gift Aid declaration – either in person or online, it will cover both your past donations to Blackburn Cathedral and any in the future.

There’s no additional paperwork required – we handle everything to reclaim the tax. All we need is your completed declaration.

When you provide a Gift Aid declaration it covers all of the eligible donations you have made for the previous four years (in tax years, 6 April – 5 April) and on any donation you may make in the future.

We’d be delighted if your company supported us and your donation will make a real difference. Your company will be able to claim tax relief, but it is not possible to claim Gift Aid on a donation from a company.

If you need help with your donation(s) or Gift Aid – or if your circumstances change – please call our Finance team on 01254 277430, or email us at finance@blackburncathedral.co.uk and we’ll be happy to help.

To participate in the scheme, you must be a UK taxpayer, and the total amount of tax you pay in a year must be equal to or greater than the amount reclaimed by the charity or charities in that year.

If you pay less tax than the amount reclaimed, it is your responsibility to repay the difference. Please let us know if you stop paying taxes or no longer pay enough, and we will immediately stop claiming Gift Aid on your donations.

You can learn more about Gift Aid on the HMRC website.

If you need help with your donation(s) or Gift Aid – or if your circumstances change – please call our Finance team on 01254 277430, or email us at finance@blackburncathedral.co.uk and we’ll be happy to help.