Planned Giving

Suppose you are a UK tax-payer and you decide to donate £10 to the Sacred Heart Parish. You could do this in two ways:

	Hand in your £10, and the parish gets precisely £10.
	Join Gift Aid and hand in your £10. The parish receives £12.80 because the tax man gives the parish £2.80.

GIFT AID is a government scheme which allows your parish to reclaim the income tax that you have already paid on your donation.

What do you have to do?

To join the gift aid scheme you need to fill in a form with the following pieces of information:

	Your name
	Your address
	Today's date
	The name of the parish

You then need to sign a declaration that:

	You are a U.K. tax payer.
	The total amount of tax that you pay is greater than the amount that the parish will reclaim.

What about Privacy?

The parish get absolutely no information whatsoever about your salary or your tax arrangements. The government simply diverts some of your tax to the parish. You don't pay any extra. The parish gains and you lose nothing. The government loses.

What information does the Parish keep?

	Your name, address, and the date that you joined the Gift Aid scheme.
	A record of how much you pay in. This means that your payment will be in a special numbered envelope or by means of a standing order or cheque.

The parish cannot reclaim tax on loose cash placed in the collecting bags because there is no record of the amount put in by individuals.

Can I change my mind?

Yes - you can change the amount given, or stop giving at any time. If you change your address, you must let the parish know.