We’re coming to the end of one financial year and starting another.
So, what needs to be considered when planning your Gift Aid strategy for the upcoming year?
The most important consideration needs to be the wording within your Gift Aid declaration, or more specifically the date gathered within the wording. The 6th April 2000 is no longer a valid date to claim tax from, on your constituent donations; this must now be changed to 6th April 2001. Check all of your Gift Aid forms to ensure they comply with this date change.
Take advantage of this date though, rather than having wording relating to claiming tax ‘from this date forward’, incorporate the earliest date possible; otherwise, who knows how much Gift Aid you could be missing out on!
Of course, the earliest date you can claim Gift Aid on is dependant on whether your charity is a Trust or a Company. With this in mind there is a new business rule incorporated within The Raiser’s Edge 7.81, which requires you to choose your status and, therefore, only allows you to claim Gift Aid for the finite time allowed by your status. This is set within the Configuration page.
Keep your Gift Aid declarations to the point. Make sure you have a valid tax declaration, the date applicable (within the declaration) and either a tick box or a signature line, if you would rather. If you over-complicate, your donors are less likely to complete the Gift Aid declaration accurately and you will increase your costs in ascertaining your donors’ Gift Aid eligibility. Make it simple!
4 Comments | Leave a comment
This date can indeed remain on the form, but where new forms are being created then it would be more prudent to put the updated date on it. The concern is that where this earlier date remains on the form, a charity may be more likely to accidentally claim from this date instead of the later date.
Comment by Gina Marwick 05.01.07 @ 11:21 amThis is first time in my life when I don’t know what to say. After reading all comments I’m shocked. What has happened with our society, with our young generation? They are commenting terrible information, their lexis sounds terrible. Is that true, that only words they know is “cool”, “cute” and cussing words? What are they thinking of? It’s better not to think about it, it’s too sad
Comment by Dotty 04.11.08 @ 6:39 amLeave a comment
Although the 6th of April 2000 is not a valid date to claim from, I understood this date would infact be valid to remain on the declaration itself. It’s the claim process that needs to be tweaked to only look at previous 6 years.
The HMRC Declaration model suggests wording should be changed to reflect the 6 year rule. But by changing the wording could cause more confusion to donors thus reduce response rate, introduce re-print costs for the charity, as well as IT development/data-capturing costs!
Comment by Reza Islam 04.27.07 @ 6:17 am