Planned Giving & Gift Aid
How you (and the Tax Man) can help your Parish with Gift Aid!
St. Ann’s Planned Giving & Gift Aid Organiser is:
Terry Atkinson Tel: 0161 485 4828
What is Gift Aid?
The Gift Aid Scheme is a very simple way of helping the parish to reclaim from the government the Income Tax it receives on Donations it receives.
Gift Aid enables parishes to reclaim tax on donations that are ALREADY being made at the Offertory and in many other ways – i.e. donations for special purposes and retiring collections.
Donors simply make a declaration that they wish their donations to qualify for a tax refund under the Gift Aid Scheme. This declaration may be made on a Gift Aid Declaration Form (available in parishes or from the Diocesan office) or it can be made over the telephone, fax or by email to the Diocesan Office.
The donor only has to give their name and address and to confirm that they are paying sufficient income tax and that they wish to be part of the Gift Aid Scheme.
Gift Aid involves no commitment to give any particular amount and no long-term commitment. The donor may cancel their membership of the scheme at any time.
There are only two conditions with which donors must comply; firstly that they must be paying at least as much income tax as is reclaimed on their total charitable donations in the tax year and secondly that all donations on which a tax refund is to be claimed will be given either by Offertory Envelopes, by Cheque or by Banker’s Standing Order. It does not matter which rate of income tax the donor pays.
Tax may be reclaimed on any donation(s) given in the above ways. These may consist of Offertory Donations at Mass, Christmas and Easter Offerings, special Retiring Collections that are taken from time-to-time, Mass Offerings, or any “one-off’ donation(s) made in response to an appeal for a specific purpose (i.e. for a new heating system, church re-decoration, etc).
Most parishes have a lay person who acts as Gift Aid Organiser who can explain further and advise you on how to join the Gift Aid Scheme. The Director is available to carry out weekend Gift Aid appeals in Parishes, and Parishes are encouraged to have an appeal every 3 to 4 years to keep pace with the floating population and the tax status of Parishioners.
Your Parish needs the extra funds that the Gift Aid scheme provides.
How do I go about signing a Gift Aid Declaration?
Ask your Parish Priest or Lay Organiser.
Or contact the Dioceson Office at the address below.
Diocese of Shrewsbury
Planned Giving & Gift Aid Service
2 Park Road South
Prenton
Birkenhead
CH43 4UX
Tel:0151 652 9855
Fax:0870 094 1142
Email: mike.russell@dioceseofshrewsbury.org
Assistant: Joanne Skerrett
Email: joanne.skerrett@dioceseofshrewsbury.org
