How Gift Aid works
Gift Aid is a program run by the UK government that allows registered charities like us to claim the basic rate tax on donations from UK taxpayers.
This means that when you donate to Battersea, we can claim a share of the tax you have already paid to the government. No extra costs or hidden fees.
For every £1 you give, we get an extra 25p.
How to add Gift Aid to your donation
Future donations
The next time you donate, choose to add Gift Aid. You can do this when you donate online or over the phone. This will add Gift Aid for all future donations.
Past donations
If you have donated to us before but weren’t opted into Gift Aid, we might still be able to claim on your donations. Once you opt in, we can apply Gift Aid to any donations you made in the last four years.
To Gift Aid your past, present and future donations, fill out the online form.
How Gift Aid could help our dogs and cats
If every tax-paying Battersea supporter signed up to Gift Aid, we would have an extra £1.25 million a year to help care for our dogs and cats.
We couldn’t do what we do without you – and with Gift Aid, we can achieve even more for dogs and cats when they need us most.
£10 becomes £12.50
This extra £2.50 could pay for microchipping a pet.
£50 becomes £62.50
This extra £12.50 could cover an initial health check.
£200 becomes £250
This extra £50 could fund a session of specialist hydrotherapy to get a Battersea dog back on their feet after surgery.
Who’s eligible for Gift Aid?
If you pay tax in the UK, you can add Gift Aid on donations up to four times the tax you’ve paid.
So, if you pay £5,000 in tax in the tax year (6 April to 5 April), you can opt in to Gift Aid on donations up to £20,000. This covers all donations you make to any charity in that tax year.
If you don’t pay tax in the UK, you are not eligible for Gift Aid.
Add Gift Aid to your donations
Ready to sign up? All you have to do is fill out the form and we’ll sort the rest. It doesn’t cost anything but will give our dogs and cats so much more – all thanks to you.
Gift Aid FAQs
We get 25p for every £1 you donate.
No. It’s completely free for you. The money comes out of the tax you’ve already paid in that tax year (6 April to 5 April). However, if you pay less tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed, HMRC (the UK’s tax, payments and customs authority) may ask you to pay the difference.
You’re not eligible for Gift Aid if you don’t pay tax. If you accidentally opt in to Gift Aid when you’re not eligible, HMRC may ask you to repay the difference.
Please let our Supporter Services Team know if you stop paying tax or have reached your limit on the amount of Gift Aid you can add.
Please include your full name and your address in any correspondence.
Email us at fundraising@battersea.org.uk
Call 0300 3231 216 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm). Outside of these hours you can leave us a message with your contact number and we will return your call the next working day.
Or write to us at:
Supporter Services,
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home,
4 Battersea Park Road,
London,
SW8 4AA
No. Gift Aid can only be claimed on donations from your own money. You can’t add Gift Aid to donations made on behalf of someone else, a company, a Trust, a group collection or from fundraising events where you’re passing on money from others.
Yes, if you personally made the donation and complete the platform’s Gift Aid declaration. If the donation includes money from others, Gift Aid can’t be added.
No, Gift Aid only applies to voluntary donations. Payments where you receive something in return – like a raffle ticket, lottery entry, event ticket or auction item – aren’t eligible.
However, you can add Gift Aid to any additional donations on top of your raffle or lottery entry.
Yes. Pensioners can opt in to Gift Aid if they pay enough UK tax (Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax) to cover the Gift Aid claimed on their donations. This includes tax paid on pensions, savings or investments.
You can still add Gift Aid as normal. Higher rate taxpayers can also claim back the difference between the basic rate and their tax rate through their Self-Assessment tax return.
Yes. You can Gift Aid donations to as many charities as you like, if you’ve paid enough UK tax to cover the total Gift Aid claimed across all of them.
Yes, but only if you complete a Gift Aid declaration so the charity can link the donation to you. Anonymous cash donations can’t have Gift Aid added.
You can calculate your Gift Aid contributions by checking your personal donations records. This could mean reviewing bank statements and requesting annual summaries from the charities you support.
Yes. Please reach out to Supporter Services and we can send you a copy to fill out. Get in touch by emailing fundraising@battersea.org.uk or calling 0300 3231 216.
Our Supporter Services team are happy to help. Get in touch by emailing fundraising@battersea.org.uk or calling 0300 3231 216.
For more information about Gift Aid, please visit GOV.UK.
