Gift Aid on Self Assessment

SueC_2

When they say "Gift Aid Paymens made in the year" and "Total of any 'one-off' payments included" - what the frig do they mean?

I made several (fairly small) donations during the year, and always ticked the Gift Aid box.

Do I enter the total amount I donated? If so, inclusive or exclusive of Gift Aid? Or just the Gift Aid amount?

In either case, does the same figure go in both boxes?

I don't generally think of myself as stupid. Not until my annual assessment form arrives on the mat.

dtaylor84

See the Gift Aid section of http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/worksheets/sa150.pdf

Goldenyears

HMRC will not carry forward to next year anything you put in the one off payments box. Your entry in the regular payments box will give you the same relief next year, unless you tell them otherwise. It's up to how you want to play it. Most people would revise their regular payments figure anyway if they are higher rate payers.

SueC_2

dtaylor84 wrote: »

See the Gift Aid section of http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/worksheets/sa150.pdf

I have. I don't understand it.

Maybe I'm just too stupid to donate to charity.

SueC_2

Goldenyears wrote: »

HMRC will not carry forward to next year anything you put in the one off payments box. Your entry in the regular payments box will give you the same relief next year, unless you tell them otherwise. It's up to how you want to play it. Most people would revise their regular payments figure anyway if they are higher rate payers.

I vary what I donate every year anyway, so I don't suppose I want anything carried forward. Which I guess means I put the same number in both boxes?

But my first question is more basic than that. For example, let's say I donated £100 of my money, which gets bumped up with £25 gift aid. Do I enter £100, £25, or £125 in the box?

Yes, I really am that stupid.

dtaylor84

SueC wrote: »

But my first question is more basic than that. For example, let's say I donated £100 of my money, which gets bumped up with £25 gift aid. Do I enter £100, £25, or £125 in the box?

£100.

From the SA150 guidance notes:
"Box 5 Gift Aid payments made in the year to 5 April 2013
Enter the actual amounts given, do not add on any tax relief that you think the charity will obtain."

If you don't pay higher rate tax (and don't get the age related personal allowance) the amount you donate makes no difference to your tax code anyway. So the "one-off" amount is irrelevant.

If you do pay higher rate tax, then HMRC will adjust your tax code for next year to give you tax relief on (box5 - box6). If you donate less next year, you'll owe tax. If you donate more, you'll be owed a refund.