Gift Aid FAQ
As a charity, NHSN is able to reclaim 25p for every £1 you donate to us in Gift Aid from HMRC. Find out how you can make your money go further by Gift Aiding your membership and other donations.
- What is Gift Aid?
- Who can make a Gift Aid declaration?
- My partner/spouse pays tax, but I don’t. Can I Gift Aid my membership?
- Can I Gift Aid a membership or donation on behalf of someone else?
- How can I make a Gift Aid declaration to NHSN?
- I want to buy a visitor pass to Gosforth Nature Reserve. What is Gift Aid admission?
- Do I need to make a Gift Aid declaration every time I donate?
- What if I already Gift Aid donations to other charities?
- What if I am a higher rate taxpayer?
- What should I do if my tax situation changes, or I want to cancel my declaration?
- Are there any other changes I should tell you about?
- Where can I find out more about Gift Aid?
- Online declaration form
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a government scheme that allows charities to claim tax relief from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) on donations. Charities can reclaim 25p for every £1 donated to them by UK taxpayers, meaning your donation to the causes you care about increase in value by 25% – at no extra cost to you!
Gift Aid is a significant source of income for charities. If you are a member of or donate to NHSN, you are already being a great support to us: by agreeing to Gift Aid your donations, you can make your support go even further.
For example, if you pay £39 for Full Membership and submit a Gift Aid declaration, we can claim back £9.75 from HMRC, meaning your donation to us in now £48.75!
Who can make a Gift Aid declaration?
Anyone who pays UK Income and/or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year (6 April of one year – 5 April the following year) can make a Gift Aid declaration. The amount of tax you pay must be at least equal to the value of Gift Aid NHSN, and any other charity that you donate to, will claim on your donation/s for that tax year.
If you pay less Income and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all of your donations in the tax year, it is your responsibility to pay any difference to HMRC.
My partner/spouse pays tax, but I don’t. Can I Gift Aid my membership?
NHSN Membership (excluding Student Membership) covers family living at the named member’s address. Whoever pays for the membership can make a Gift Aid declaration as long as they live at the member’s address.
If the payer is different from the named membership holder, please let us know so we can add a note to our records.
Can I Gift Aid a membership or donation on behalf of someone else?
NHSN cannot claim Gift Aid on gift memberships or any third-party payments. Please only Gift Aid donations covering yourself and your own family living at the same address as you.
One exception to this is if you pay for the membership for a child under the age of 18, even if they are not part of your household. Please advise us if this is the case.
How can I make a Gift Aid declaration to NHSN?
You can complete our online declaration form or download a declaration form to print off and complete.
Online forms will be automatically sent to us. If you have completed a paper form, please send it to us by emailing a scan/photo to nhsn@ncl.ac.uk, posting it to or dropping it off at our office, or dropping it off at Gosforth Nature Reserve.
I want to buy a visitor pass to Gosforth Nature Reserve. What is Gift Aid admission?
Gift Aid admission is the option to pay a little extra (10%) than a normal visitor pass. By doing so, it means we can reclaim tax on the whole amount paid – so your payment of £5.50, for example, is now worth £6.88. We can’t claim tax on Standard Admission visitor passes.
If you would like to purchase a visitor pass with Gift Aid admission:
- You must be a UK taxpayer
- The amount of tax you pay must be at least equal to the value of Gift Aid NHSN and any other charity that you donate to will claim on your donation/s for that tax year (currently 25%)
- You must be the payer for the visitor pass and be paying only for yourself and/or members of your family (e.g., you are purchasing visitor passes for you, your partner and children)
You can get a declaration form from the Volunteer Rangers in the Welcome Hut when you pay for your pass at the reserve. If you buy a pass online, completing a declaration form will be part of the buying process.
Do I need to make a Gift Aid declaration every time I donate?
NHSN’s Gift Aid declaration form covers your current donation, all donations you have made in the past four years, and any you make in the future. If you would prefer to pay Gift Aid for a single tax year, or you know that you did not pay enough tax in this time period, please get in touch with us to let us know at nhsn@ncl.ac.uk or 0191 208 2790.
What if I already Gift Aid donations to other charities?
You can agree to Gift Aid a donation to as many charities as you like, as long as you have paid enough tax to be at least equal to the amount of tax all the charities you Gift Aid to will claim for each tax year. It is your responsibility to ensure that you pay enough tax and the make up any difference to HMRC.
What if I am a higher rate tax payer?
Higher-rate taxpayers can claim on their self-assessment tax return the difference between the tax on their donation and what we receive back from our Gift Aid claim (i.e., at the basic rate of tax, currently 20%).
If you are a higher rate taxpayer and want more information about how you can do this, please visit https://www.gov.uk/donating-to-charity/gift-aid
What should I do if my tax situation changes, or I want to cancel my declaration?
Please tell us if you want to cancel your declaration or if you no longer pay enough UK Income and/or Capital Gains tax, so that we will stop claiming Gift Aid on your membership and donations.
You can get in touch with us by email at nhsn@ncl.ac.uk or phone on 0191 208 2790.
Are there any other changes I should tell you about?
If you change your name or address, or wish to cancel you declaration at any time, please let us know. You do not need to complete a new declaration form if you change address.
Where can I find out more about Gift Aid?
Information about Gift Aid and other ways to donate to charities can be found on the Government website here:
https://www.gov.uk/donating-to-charity/gift-aid