Gift Aid

What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid is a simple and effective way to support WWT as a charity.

Under Gift Aid, HM Revenue & Customs allows charities to reclaim tax on donations made by UK taxpayers.

For every £1 that you donate, we can claim a further 25p at no additional cost to you. So, for example, if you donate £20 we actually receive £25.

Who is eligible for Gift Aid?

You must be a UK taxpayer and pay enough Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax in each tax year to cover the Gift Aid claimed on all your donations. Otherwise you will have a responsibility to pay any difference.

It’s important you read the declaration carefully before signing up. More information can be found on the HMRC website.

Which WWT donations are eligible for Gift Aid?

We will ask you about Gift Aid on all eligible transactions.

These include donations, admission prices at our Wetland Centres, and memberships.

Exceptions include gifted memberships and discounted admission tickets.

How do I ensure Gift Aid is added to my donation?

On eligible transactions there will be a Gift Aid Declaration. If you are eligible, please complete this declaration.

A Gift Aid Declaration will include:

• The name of our charity
• Your full name and home address including postcode.
• A statement to say that you pay Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax that is at least equivalent to the tax that WWT will claim from HM Revenue & Customs and that you want your donation to be treated as Gift Aid donations.

We must ensure the person paying and the person signing up for Gift Aid is the same person. We may ask you to confirm this.

What if I’m a higher rate tax payer?

If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self Assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue & Customs to adjust your tax code.

Why do I have to pay a higher admission fee in order to be eligible for Gift Aid?

Only voluntary donations are eligible for Gift Aid. By paying the Gift Aid price, which is 10% higher than the Standard price, makes the whole admission fee eligible for Gift Aid. More information can be found here.

For example, for an additional £1.00 you pay on top of the Standard admission price of £10.00, we receive £3.75 more (£1.00 from you and £2.75 from HMRC) to support our conservation work.

When do I need to complete a Gift Aid Declaration?

We will ask you to complete a Gift Aid Declaration on every eligible transaction.

We will ask you every time you purchase an admission ticket to one of our Wetland Centres, even if you have completed a previous declaration.

If purchased in the centre there is a 30-day cooling off period. Our Supporter Service team will be happy to help if you want to cancel the Gift Aid on your ticket price during that period. Please email supporter@wwt.org.uk.

We will also ask you when you take out a subscription such as membership or an adoption. On these transactions, the Gift Aid Declaration covers future donations and we will continue to claim until we hear otherwise from you.

Again please contact our Supporter Service team who will be happy to help if you wish to cancel Gift Aid. Please email supporter@wwt.org.uk and Gift Aid will be cancelled from the day you notify us.