How To Register Your Charity Online With HMRC For Your Reference Number To Claim Gift Aid
You have to register your charity or CASC with HMRC to claim Gift Aid. This guide to registering gives you practical step-by-step instructions on applying for HMRC charity registration for your Gift Aid reference number, so you can claim everything you're entitled to.
Who Can Register With HMRC Charities
Many think that you have to be a registered charity to register with HMRC for Gift Aid, but that's not the case. Unincorporated associations (unregistered charities) and Commmunity Amateur Sports Cllubs (CASCs) can also register with HMRC and claim Gift Aid.
- Any Charity can register with HMRC, unless your income is in excess of £5k and you've not yet registered with the Charity Commission.
- CASCs aren't charities, but can claim Gift Aid and other tax reliefs.
- Social Enterprises, such as CICs, cannot claim Gift Aid, unless they are a CASC. Being a CASC is a tax staus, not a legal structure.
Here's a list of the relevant tax reliefs, with links to more guidance.
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To access help and resources on anything to do with running a charity, including accounts, tax and funding, click the AI Bunny icon in the bottom right of your screen and ask it short questions, including key words. Register, then login and the in-system AI Bunny is able to write funding bids and download 30+ charity policy templates as well.
Register Via The Government Gateway
However, to claim charitable tax reliefs, you first have to register with HMRC, via the Government Gateway.
Go to Gov.UK and click on the ‘Create sign in details’ link. You need to register as an 'Organisation', not yourself. Make sure you make a note of your Government ID number, password and recovery word. Simply follow the instructions.
Once you're in the HMRC system and it asks you what services you wish to register for, select 'Other' for Gift Aid.
Information Needed To Register Your Charity With HMRC Charities
The system times out after 15 minutes, you can close your browser at any time, but your progress will only be saved up to the point where you last clicked ‘Save and continue’ and an unfinished application is only stored for 28 days from the last time it was saved. I've found that the best way to avoid losing any data is to have all the information to hand befiore I begin. Most of this will be in the pdf the Charity Commission sent you on submitting your registration.
o Bank account details and financial accounts. Here's my guide to opening a free charity bank account. When entering your details, enter the sort code using the format shown on screen (45-67-89, not 456789) and don't put a comma in your estimated annual and actual income to date this year (10000, not 10,000).
o Officials’ details, including dates of birth, addressess, telephone numbers and National Insurance numbers. If the system refuses to accept a postcode, stating it's not valid. Leave the postcode box blank and enter your country in the country box instead (eg England). I know it's the box to complete for an overseas address, but it works. Yes, I know that's silly, but it's what HMRC told me to do the first time it happened to me. If you're like me and like things done properly, paste your postcode into line 3 of the address section. Your Charity Commission copy of your application contains trustees' details, but not their phone numbers and the HMRC portal won't let you proceed without these, so have them to hand.
o Registration number if you’ve registered your charity with a regulator.
o Charitable objectives (sometimes called purposes) and benefits. You are limited to 500 characters for each, so may need to summarise down what's in your governing document.
o Governing document (sometimes called a rulebook) - this explains how your charity is run.
Once complete, a page will display that shows you everything you've entered. It's a good idea to copy and paste this into a Word document, so you have a record. I also suggest making a record of your HMRC Reference Number, which you'll be given in the final screen.
HMRC Charity Registration Documentation
Once you submit your registration, you'll be given a reference number, which you should add to copies of the documents below, to be sent to HMRC by post, within a set timescale.
- Registration - notification of registration from your regulator.
- Evidence of activities - basically, HMRC is looking for you to demonstrate that you actually exist (anti-fraud), so you could send documents, such as a business plan, minutes of trustee meetings, evidence of funding applications/donations, brochures or even a flyer, if that's all you have.
- Governing document and any proposed changes.
If you’re missing any National Insurance numbers, remember to post a copy of each persons’ passport photograph page, along with proof of their home address.
The final screen no longer asks you for the supporting bank account details, but I suggest that you send these as well - Bank statements (3 months). If your bank account has been open less than 3 months, provide evidence from the bank that the account is open, such as the bank letter notifying you of this.
If in any doubt, I suggest you call the helpline - 0300 123 1073.
HMRC Gift Aid Registration Timescale
It takes 6 weeks to process most applications. If more checks are needed or during busy periods, it may take longer.
Alternatives to HMRC Charity Registration
Sports Clubs
If you're a sports club and eligible, you can register with HMRC as a Community Amateur Sports Club, rather than a charity. You can find everything you need to decide which would be best for you, by going to my Part 1 Registration Guide and scrolling down to CASCs in Section 2.
Charities Based Outside Of The UK
If you're outside the UK, but have UK donors, it is possible to claim Gift Aid without registering a UK charity and with HMRC. Find out more here.
It's also possible to create a UK charity that can benefit from UK and US tax reliefs, but it must be dual qualified. That might potemtially be quite useful, but I suggest you probably need a lawyer - here's more.
What's an HMRC Charity Reference Number?
This will be on the letter issued by HMRC confirming recognition as a charity and may also be on other correspondence from HMRC Charities. The reference number will start with two letters or an X and will include up to 5 numbers.
If you know that already and just want to find out what yours is, click here to contact HMRC Charities.
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To access help and resources on anything to do with running a charity, including funding, click the AI Bunny icon in the bottom right of your screen and ask it short questions, including key words. Register, then login and the in-system AI Bunny is able to write funding bids and download 30+ charity policy templates as well.