Gift Aid - SA help - which donations are eligible ?

jjbargaingal

Hi all, completing my self assessment. Please can someone advise me which donations are eligible as I know some are excluded and I cant find them on hmrc website. These are costs that have been gift aided
Egs - National Trust visit to property
National Trust joint membership, paid for by me
Charity gifts ie goat for overseas
Charity prize draw tickets.

Many thanks jj

jennifernil

I normally enter all "gift aid" payments when I do OH's return, it extends the basic rate band, so saves tax if you are paying higher rate tax.

jimmo

Have you seen this?
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/gift_aid/basics.htm#2

jjbargaingal

Thanks Jennifer and Jimmo, I am looking at the link to try to see if it answers my questions. I think property entrance and membership might be eligible but not sure on the raffle or charity gift despite ticking the giftaid boxes. Despite what they tax is taxing !! :beer::beer:

Here is a link I found quite useful- membership subscriptions seem to be allowable depending on what benefits you receive ie magazines, periodicals etc ok. So I think NT membership should be allowable.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/guidance-notes/chapter3/sectionf.htm

jennifernil

If there is a gift aid box to tick, and you tick it, then you can enter the amount on your return.

NT membership is fine.

You are paying enough tax to cover all your gift aiding I presume?

jjbargaingal

Yes definitely paying enough tax - the most I have found for donations is £195, but have to check a couple to see. I bought a charity gift of a goat from Practical Action - I know I ticked the gift aid but I cant find anything to state whether its allowable or not. I know the charity can give you a nominal gift in return but not sure if a "goat" counts ??

billymadbiker

I would love a goat.
Depends on the inspector who reviews your case if you get checked over.
If he/she thinks of a goat as a good thing they may consider this more than a 'nominal' gift.

On the serious side, providing you get no personal enjoyment from the goat, ie. the goat actually ends up scratching around some dry scrubland overseas, dying of thirst, but, still of use to somebody else,then that should be fine.

I think the point is, the donation does you no good personally (warm, fuzzy glow on the inside excepted) it's ok.

National Trust, on the other hand, although it may well be a charity your donations could be seen to have advantages over what is considered nominal.
If, for example, you gift aid a 'donation' which then allows you to vist places that would normally charge you an admission fee had you not made the donation.

If you could show that they normally charge £1 for entry and you made a donation of £50 and have only visited one place once you may be ok.
If you donated £50 as they normally charge £20 and you get free admission and have been going every weekend with the wife and 6 kids, maybe not.
I think there is some sort of exemption if they allow you to visit free for a year or more though, so, as mentioned above it may all be fine.
Providing you are not milking the goat.

jennifernil

We are NT members, no problem with putting the sub on the tax return. Lots of stately homes and museums use gift aid, even some of the royal palaces. Then there are churches, scouts, guides.....all manner of charities.

Stop worrying....if you "gift aided" it, then put the amount down on your tax return.

jjbargaingal

billymadbiker wrote: »

I would love a goat.
Depends on the inspector who reviews your case if you get checked over.
If he/she thinks of a goat as a good thing they may consider this more than a 'nominal' gift.

On the serious side, providing you get no personal enjoyment from the goat, ie. the goat actually ends up scratching around some dry scrubland overseas, dying of thirst, but, still of use to somebody else,then that should be fine.

I think the point is, the donation does you no good personally (warm, fuzzy glow on the inside excepted) it's ok.

National Trust, on the other hand, although it may well be a charity your donations could be seen to have advantages over what is considered nominal.
If, for example, you gift aid a 'donation' which then allows you to vist places that would normally charge you an admission fee had you not made the donation.

If you could show that they normally charge £1 for entry and you made a donation of £50 and have only visited one place once you may be ok.
If you donated £50 as they normally charge £20 and you get free admission and have been going every weekend with the wife and 6 kids, maybe not.
I think there is some sort of exemption if they allow you to visit free for a year or more though, so, as mentioned above it may all be fine.
Providing you are not milking the goat.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
Thanks, Who said tax couldnt be fun !! Thats why tax experts get paid soo much !! From reading hmrc website it sounds like the NT membership is ok, but maybe I have interpreted it wrong. Cant even go every week as most of them close Nov-Feb/March !!

The goat was a charitable overseas gift so no use to me personally. Anyway best get back to my tax, need to find some more expenses so I dont end up with a big tax bill !!:eek::eek: