Gift aid
Gift Aid is a UK government scheme that enables the university to claim tax relief on donations from UK taxpayers. For every £1 a UK taxpayer donates, 25p in reclaimed tax is added to the value of the gift. This means that if you donate £100 with Gift Aid, it is worth £125 to the university.
Help us to maximise the value of your donation by signing up for Gift Aid on all your donations through our online donation forms with CAF Bank or by completing a Gift Aid Declaration.
Please note that we will share relevant and necessary data with HM Revenue and Customs to enable us to reclaim the Gift Aid on your donation.
Donations from companies are not eligible for Gift Aid. However, the company can treat the gift as an allowable expense, making a saving on corporation tax.
Payroll giving
In the UK, you can sign up with this flexible scheme, which allows all those paid through PAYE (Pay As You Earn), to give regularly and on a tax-free basis. Giving directly from your payroll is very simple. You can give as much as you like and tax-free. Gifts made through this scheme are taken directly from your gross pay, before tax is applied, giving you immediate tax relief at the highest rate of tax for which you qualify.
A donation of £5, for example, costs you at standard rate tax, only £4 and the university receives £5. If you are on the 40% tax band, your donation will only cost you £3 but the university receives £5.
If you are a UK taxpayer and are interested in this method of giving, please ask your employer for an application form for their payroll-giving scheme, detailing your wishes to donate to the University of Brighton.
The University of Brighton’s payroll giving agency for staff is The Charities Trust. University staff can sign up using this simple form, which needs to go to payroll for processing.
Legacies
Gifts to charity are exempt from Inheritance Tax (IHT) in the UK, and the government provides a further incentive when you leave 10 per cent or more of your net estate to charity. Please find out more about how to leave a gift in your will to the university.
Giving stocks and shares
Share giving is the most generous tax relief available to donors, combining relief on income and capital gains tax. In the UK, share gifts qualify for tax relief equal to the market value of the shares on the day they are donated, including associated costs such as broker fees. The tax relief can be claimed for the year in which the gift is made.
For example, a gift to the university of £1,000 worth of shares, made by an individual who is a higher rate taxpayer, would reduce their income tax by up to £500 for the year. Additionally, the benefactor would not have to pay any Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on any increase in the value of the shares since they were bought. If the shares have gone down in value, however, it is not possible to use this loss to offset any other CGT liabilities.
Donors wishing to give shares to the university should contact us via giving@brighton.ac.uk.
Giving from America
If you are a resident of the USA, you can give to the university via the British Schools & Universities Foundation, which is determined by the United States Internal Revenue Services to be a tax-exempt public charity with 501(c)(3) status. You can also give via CAF America.
In both cases, when making your donation please state your wish that it be granted to the University of Brighton. Please visit their website for further advice and guidance on making your donation.
When you make your gift, please let us know so we can liaise with the relevant organisation to ensure your donation is transferred to the university.
Giving from Europe
If you are a European resident, you may be able to maximise your gift through Transnational Giving Europe (TGE).
This is a collaborative giving scheme offered by a partnership of European foundations. It enables donors (both corporations and individuals) resident in one of the participating countries to offer financial support to non-profit organisations in other member countries. Beneficiaries benefit directly from the tax advantages provided for in the legislation of their country of residence.
Country-specific contact details for the scheme are available on the TGE website. The scheme is currently operational for donations from the following European countries:
• Belgium • Bulgaria • France • Germany • Hungary • Ireland • Italy • Netherlands • Poland • Romania • Slovakia • Switzerland • United Kingdom