Gift Aid

Gift Aid is a government scheme available to all UK charities. It allows us to reclaim the basic rate tax you pay as a UK taxpayer on donations you make. HMRC only accept claims for the last four years and any tax unclaimed before then will be lost, so please act now.

We can claim 25p of tax for every £1 you donate, at no extra cost to you. If you donate £10 to the RNLI, we can claim £2.50 from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which means your donation is worth even more at £12.50. All you need to do is complete a Gift Aid declaration.

If you are a UK taxpayer and will pay enough income or capital gains tax in the UK this financial year to cover the amount we’ll reclaim, then we can claim Gift Aid on your donation. You can tell if you are eligible by looking either your payslip or the end of year P60, or at papers relating to money paid to you, such as a savings or bank account statement. They normally show if tax has been deducted along with the amount.

You can still donate to the RNLI without completing a Gift Aid declaration, it is not compulsory. Yes, you can still donate to the RNLI without completing a Gift Aid declaration, although it is helpful if you complete a Gift Aid declaration informing us you are not eligible for Gift Aid so we do not contact you in the future, saving us time and money.

No, HMRC only require a tick-box declaration along with your full name and address, and no other paperwork to complete. It’s a good idea to keep a record of donations you make to a charity per year. You can then ensure you have paid enough tax to cover the Gift Aid claims.

No. Once you’ve completed and returned your form, you won’t have to do it again for the RNLI. You should, however, let us know if your tax status changes by calling Supporter Experience on 0300 300 9990.

You can directly support as many UK charities as you wish using the Gift Aid scheme so long as:

• You complete a Gift Aid declaration form for each charity that claims Gift Aid on your donations.
• The total Gift Aid reclaimed by all the charities that you support does not exceed the total tax that you have paid in the applicable tax year.

If you wish to cancel or change details in the declaration with RNLI, or you stop paying tax or you no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains tax, please let us know. You can either complete our online enquiry form or contact our Supporter Experience Team on 0300 300 9990.

You may still be paying tax on a private pension plan or a savings account, or you may pay capital gains tax if you sell either a property or shares. If so, you are still eligible to Gift Aid providing you have paid enough tax during the year to cover your donations (25% of the value of your gifts). As a pensioner you will receive a P60 form each year. Keep this safe as it will show any tax paid in the last tax year. If you’re unsure, we advise that you check with your tax office and pension provider before completing a declaration.

If you only receive the basic State Pension, then you will not pay any Income Tax and will not be able to Gift Aid your donations.

You can cancel the declaration at any time by emailing your full name, address and Supporter Number if you know it, to [email protected]. Alternatively, you can speak to a member of our Supporter Experience team on 0300 300 9990, between 8am and 6pm, Monday–Friday.

No, but you may wish to keep a record of donations you make to charity in each tax year. This will help ensure that you continue to pay enough tax to cover the payments you make under Gift Aid.

Nothing. It just ensures that if you choose to donate to RNLI, we can claim an extra 25% back from the government.

No, Gift Aid is taken from tax you have already paid so there is no charge to you. It does not affect your tax status either.

Gift Aid can only be claimed from donations which are all your money, and not on behalf of a company or a collection, Donations made at an event are eligible for gift aid as long as you obtain a gift aid declaration from each donor.