Do any of MN's tax whizzes know anything about Gift Aid?

[Nilgiri]

Usual story: I see good cause (this time expat's DD and bone marrow trust), go to donate, see Gift Aid button and think, "Oh yes, if it comes from DP instead of me, it'll be worth 25% more."

Then I forget to ask DP, or he forgets to actually do it.

I'm about to have no income, so soon 100% of money in my account will actually have come from DP, and he'll have paid tax on it. Does anyone know, does it really matter whose name is on the donation, or whose bank account it comes out of?

Or can I donate in DP's name?

I'm no expert, but you've not had any replies so I'll give it a go and prepare to be corrected when someone better comes along :)

As I understand it, in order to claim the gift aid tax bit, the person donating has to pay at least as much tax as the donation / the extra tax being claimed (not sure which).

So if you have paid tax in the tax year (and you're not expecting to claim it all back at the end of the tax year) then you can donate and tick the gift aid box.

Until a few weeks ago I was a SAHM and so a no-tax payer. For the things we gift aid (charity donations, guides subs etc) I get DH to sign the form and it's in his name. If it's an online donation I do it in his name. I'm not sure that's technically allowed, but figure no one will actually check the online bit...

We have a joint account anyway, so all payments come from that.

I do the Gift Aid for a youth group and honestly it's not so technical! Where the money actually comes from is irrelevant what is important that the person who makes the declaration is the tax payer. For example when a new child joins we need the tax payer (DH in your case) to sign the declaration and that is the name I put on the HMRC forms (just names no addresses!). Who physically pays the fees is completely irrelevant as long as I have a form saying that they can be gift aided.

I am unclear from your post as to what stage you are at but as long as DH makes the declaration it doesn't matter if it is actually you who is donating.

Hope that helps????

Ah, so pretty much as I thought: if DP doesn't do it, it doesn't get done.

He's really not going to pull his finger out for lots of separate £10s here or there, so in fact it won't happen.

[whispers] but if you're donating online you don't need to physically sign anything, so I just pretend that I'm DH! he knows I do this and is happy with it :)

Yes bumpy I think that's ok too u only need to declare/sign once then all future donations - as long as they can be traced back - are gift aided.

if you're a higher or additional rate tax payer (or DH is) then the amount also needs to go on your tax return and you get the higher/additional rate tax back too.