Leaders of eight representative bodies from the charity sector, including Arts & Business, have signed up to a series of proposals in response to a report on the future of Gift Aid, prepared for the Treasury by the Chartered Institute of Taxation. The group is calling for immediate action to introduce a Gift Aid database, lift the requirement for tax declarations to be made on paper, and allow Gift Aid to be claimed on text donations. It wants a Government commitment to introduce legislation to enable the filing of Gift Aid claims online, and clarification of the rules on benefits. In particular, it is calling for a simpler process for charities to have membership schemes approved for Gift Aid, and greater clarity on how it applies to donations made when only one member of a couple is a taxpayer. The group believes that these measures “are essential in modernising Gift Aid – enabling it to keep up with technological and philanthropic developments over the coming years”. It believes they can be introduced “immediately at little cost to government, and have the potential to reduce administrative costs to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs”.
Published: 01-11-2010