About gift aid

If every English Heritage member signed up to Gift Aid, it would mean almost £2m more for the protection of the historic environment.

By being a member, you are already showing support for our work in looking after historic places and keeping them open for many to enjoy. You can increase your support for English Heritage by agreeing to Gift Aid your membership.

• How does Gift Aid work?

For every £1 our members donate whether through membership or donations, HM Revenue and Customs currently gives English Heritage 25p, which means that for each adult membership of £72, English Heritage receives an additional £18.

• What’s the catch?

There really isn’t one.

• Won’t HM Revenue and Customs need to get in touch?

Once you’ve signed a Gift Aid declaration, you won’t pay any more in tax or need to fill in any additional forms.

• What is the minimum donation that English Heritage can claim on? 

There isn’t one. We can claim back the tax on any amount. 

• Do I have to fill in a new declaration every year?

No. The declaration will stay in place for good, unless you tell us to cancel it. We do need to know if you stop being a tax payer or if you change your name or address though. 

• I remember signing a Deed of Covenant for my membership. Do I still need to sign up for Gift Aid? 

Yes please, Deeds of Covenant cover subscriptions only, Gift Aid covers membership and donations. 

• I subscribe to a lot of different charities – can I Gift Aid them all?

Usually yes - as long as the tax claims from all of them added together don’t exceed the amount of tax you pay in a year. 

• I am retired and living on the standard pension. Can I Gift Aid? 

If you are no longer paying any tax, then no. However, if you have savings and pay Income or Capital Gains Tax of an equal or higher amount than we are trying to claim (currently 25p in the pound) then it’s ok. 

• Are there any memberships that cannot give Gift Aid?

Gift Aid cannot be claimed on Life Memberships, gifts of membership or third party payments.

• I pay for someone else’s subscription. Can I Gift Aid that?

No, I’m afraid it can only be from your subscription, on your membership, from your own money.

• Can I claim tax relief on Gift Aid?

If you are a higher rate taxpayer you can currently claim back 25p for every pound you’ve donated in tax relief from the HM Revenue and Customs.

• How do I work out how much tax will be reclaimed on my subscription?

If you multiply the subscription cost by 20/80 you will get the claim amount. eg £72 x 20/80 = £18 (currently the basic rate of tax is 20%).