Charities who claim Gift Aid must sign up for HM Revenue & Customs’ new Charities Online service by 30 September. From 1 October, HMRC will stop accepting Gift Aid repayment claims on R68(i) forms so all claims must be made using the new system.
However, many charities are not prepared – Third Sector reported yesterday that seven large charities have reported that their IT systems might not be ready to meet the deadline, and earlier this month it claimed that only a quarter of charities registered for Gift Aid had signed up to the new system.
The new online system was launched in April with the aim of making claims quicker and easier.
There are three options for making claims:
Option one: claim using an online form
To make claims using the online form you need to sign up to use HMRC’s Online Services, and enrol for Charities Online. You can claim for up to 1,000 Gift Aid donations by completing and attaching a schedule spreadsheet to the online claim form and there is no limit to the number of claims you can submit. Claims under the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme can be made using the same form.
Option two: claim through your own database
Those choosing this option will be able to send one claim per day directly from their own internal database or system, with details for up to 500,000 Gift Aid donations. Charities using this system will either need to develop their own compatible software package or purchase a suitable package from a software provider.
Option three: claim using a paper form
For those who don’t have access to the internet there is a new paper repayment claim form, called a ChR1, which can be ordered from the HMRC Charities Helpline on 0845 302 0203.
Guidance on the new system is available on HM Revenue & Customs website.
Leave a Reply