CTG has responded to HMRC’s technical consultation on Gift Aid and Intermediaries, which makes proposals to give intermediaries, operating within the charity sector, a greater role in administering Gift Aid.

A CTG spokesman said:

CTG welcomes the Government’s commitment to simplifying the administration of Gift Aid claimed through intermediaries,  and we are hopeful that it will remove barriers to donors trying to make a Gift Aid claim.  However it is important that practical implications for charities should be proportionate, and the user journey is simple and not confusing for donors. For this reason, we believe that the Annual Statement should be made optional or apply only to donors making more frequent or larger donations, and that there should be a passive rather than positive confirmation process for charities confirming Gift Aid eligibility each year.

While we are confident that the new rules will work well overall for online platforms, we believe that further targeted work is needed to improve the process for claiming Gift Aid on SMS-giving. We also encourage the Government to give serious consideration to broadening the applicability of the rules to allow a single Gift Aid declaration to be applicable to all intermediaries and consider the long-term viability of introducing changes that are consistent with the aspirations of having a Universal Gift Aid Declaration Database.

Notes for editors

The Charity Tax Group (CTG) has over 500 members of all sizes representing all types of charitable activity. It was established in 1982 to make representations to Government on charity taxation and it has since become the leading voice for the sector on this issue. CTG has persuaded successive Governments to introduce a range of tax reliefs and has also campaigned successfully to protect existing concessions, saving charities a considerable amount of money in the process.

For further information you can contact us at 02072221265 or at info@charitytaxgroup.org.uk.