What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a government scheme that allows charities to reclaim the tax that you have already paid on your donations through UK income tax or capital gains tax.
What is a Gift Aid repair letter?
We can only claim Gift Aid if we have a valid Gift Aid declaration made by the donor. If we discover that a declaration is invalid, in some instances His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) allow us to write to donors to repair their declaration so we can claim Gift Aid.
The repair letter sets out the reason the declaration is invalid and provides the donor with the information they need to make their declaration valid. If we cannot repair a declaration we will have to repay the Gift Aid we have claimed under that declaration.
Why are you sending out Gift Aid repair letters?
We can only claim Gift Aid if we have a valid Gift Aid declaration made by the donor, and we have discovered that some of the declarations we hold are invalid. In the majority of cases this is because the incorrect wording was used by us on the declaration. In other cases, we may not be able to retrieve a declaration from our files. By sending out repair letters we give donors an opportunity to review their declaration, and advise us of any changes to their details. Donors only need to contact us if their details have changed.
If we don’t hear from a donor within 30 days of the date of the letter, under HMRC rules we can consider the declaration to be repaired and we can continue to claim Gift Aid under that declaration.
Why have I received a Gift Aid repair letter?
We are contacting everyone who completed a Gift Aid declaration that we have subsequently discovered to be invalid. In most cases this is because the incorrect wording was used by us on the declaration. It may also be that we can’t retrieve a declaration for you. Your letter will explain the problem with your declaration.
Why have I received more than one Gift Aid repair letter?
If you set up more than one donation to CCLG since 1.1.2018 you will receive more than one letter. Please read each letter carefully, as they may contain different information about each donation. For example, you may have cancelled a donation but still have another one that’s paying out, there may be different reasons why we need to send you the repair letter or your donations may started on different dates. You may also have set up more than one donation on the same date.
Are you contacting me because I made a mistake on my Gift Aid declaration?
No. Occasionally we do receive a Gift Aid declaration that has a mistake on it and we always contact the donor at the time. We are contacting you because we made an error on the declaration.
What is wrong with my Gift Aid declaration?
Your letter will explain the problem with your declaration.
You may have received the wrong declaration from us when you told us you are eligible to Gift Aid your donations. The wording was changed by HMRC in 2016 and we did not update all of our forms.
Alternatively, we may not be able to retrieve your declaration from our files. HMRC requires that all charities keep a copy of Gift Aid declarations so we can prove that you are eligible to Gift Aid your donations.
I’ve received your Gift Aid repair letter. What do I have to do?
There is a section in the letter that says ‘If the following details are correct you do not need to do anything’. It asks you whether you are a UK taxpayer and have been while you have been making your donations to us and checks that you want to continue Gift Aiding the donations you are making to us. It also asks you to check if your personal details are still the same as in the letter.
If the answer to all of these questions is ‘Yes’ then you don’t need to do anything. If the answer to any of these questions is ‘No’ then please get in touch with us within 30 days of the date of the letter at info@cclg.org.uk, or on 0333 050 7654, or at Century House, 24 De Montfort Street, Leicester, LE1 7GB.
Will this affect my ongoing donations?
No. This only affects the Gift Aid we claim on your donations.
What happens if I don’t reply to you?
We ask you to let us know within 30 days of the date of the letter if there are any changes we need to make to the way we claim Gift Aid on your donations. If we don’t hear from you we will take it that we can continue to claim Gift Aid.
I have opted out of mailings from you. Why have you contacted me?
Under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules, we are permitted to contact you about your Gift Aid declaration because we have a legitimate interest in ensuring we are following HMRC rules with regard to claiming Gift Aid. We have done an Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Self Assessment for Legitimate Interest to ensure we are acting within data protection law.
I have cancelled my direct debit. Why are you contacting me?
Under HMRC rules we have a liability period of the current financial year plus the previous four years. This means that if you made any donations from 1.1.2018 on which we claimed Gift Aid we need to ensure that we had a valid declaration covering those donations, otherwise we be liable to repay the Gift Aid that we claimed.
I have already informed you that I am no longer eligible for Gift Aid. Why are you contacting me?
Under HMRC rules we have a liability period of the current financial year plus the previous four years. This means that if you made any donations from 1.1.2018 on which we claimed Gift Aid we need to ensure that we had a valid declaration covering those donations, otherwise we be liable to repay the Gift Aid that we claimed.
I never completed a Gift Aid declaration. Why are you contacting me?
We are only contacting supporters for whom our records show they have completed a Gift Aid declaration. Please get in touch with us at info@cclg.org.uk, or on 0333 050 7654, or at Century House, 24 De Montfort Street, Leicester, LE1 7GB to let us know.
I am no longer eligible to Gift Aid my donations. What should I do?
Please contact us at info@cclg.org.uk, or on 0333 050 7654, or at Century House, 24 De Montfort Street, Leicester, LE1 7GB to let us know.
How do I find out more?
If you can’t find the answer you need in these FAQs please contact us at info@cclg.org.uk, or on 0333 050 7654, or at Century House, 24 De Montfort Street, Leicester, LE1 7GB and we will answer any questions you have.