Retail Gift Aid
Every time you Gift Aid your charity shop donations, you can make them worth 25% more when they sell – whether they're clothes, books or a sofa.
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a government scheme that allows us to claim back the tax you've already paid on your donations. In essence, it adds 25p for every £1 you donate, at no extra cost to you. Retail Gift Aid lets charities claim 25% from the net sales value of items donated, so if your donations sell for £10, we will receive £12.50 if you sign up to Gift Aid your donations today.
This additional funding enables us to care for even more patients and their loved ones. You must be a current UK taxpayer, but this is not limited to tax on earnings, you also qualify if you pay tax on a pension, savings, property sales or rental income. You must also ensure you've paid an amount of income or capital gains tax at least equal to the tax we reclaim on your donations.
How to Gift Aid your shop donations
Step 1: Download our Retail Gift Aid declaration form
Download, print and complete a retail Gift Aid declaration form and then bring this along to one of our charity shops with your first donation. Forms are also available at all our shops, so you can fill it out on the day if you prefer. We will never share your details with third parties. We ask that you pre-book your donation slot so that one of our colleagues can be ready to assist you with your drop-off.
Download our Gift Aid declaration formStep 2: Tag your bags and donation items
When you give your signed declaration form to one of our retail colleagues, they will provide you with a Donor ID and Gift Aid tags for your donations. This 'tag your bag' method helps us track your items and claim Gift Aid when they sell. You can also download and print our tags at home. You only need to complete a declaration form once, but each time you donate items to any of our shops, please remember to 'tag your bag' or inform a member of our retail team that you are signed up to Gift Aid.
Download our Gift Aid bag tagsStep 3: Keep us updated
If your tax status changes or you stop paying taxes, let us know. We want to ensure we are always compliant with HMRC regulations.
If you need to notify us of any changes to your personal details or withdraw from the scheme, please the team at gift.aid@hokh.co.uk or 01622 790195. You can also write to: Retail Gift Aid, Heart of Kent Hospice, Preston Hall, Aylesford, Kent ME20 7PU.
Retail Gift Aid FAQs
If I’ve already signed a Gift Aid declaration with another charity, is that enough?
You can sign up to Gift Aid with lots of different charities but you will need to sign a Gift Aid declaration form for each of them.
Will you send me lots of marketing materials if I sign up for Retail Gift Aid?
When you sign up to Gift Aid you can optionally choose to receive other updates from us, for example about fundraising events in your area, or news about our work in the community helping terminally ill people. If you do not opt into these then we won't send them. As part of the rules of operating a retail gift aid scheme, we are required to tell you how much your items have raised each tax year. We currently do this once a year by email or letter.
Will Retail Gift Aid cost me anything?
No. As long as you are a UK taxpayer, and have paid enough income tax to cover the amount of gift aid we claim, adding Retail Gift Aid to your donation won't cost you anything.
How do you track my donations?
When you sign up to Retail Gift Aid, we create an account in our till system that lets us match you to your items. Every item you donate is then labelled with unique Gift Aid number, which is scanned when they get sold.
What happens if I lose my unique Gift Aid number?
Don't worry, we can still add Retail Gift Aid to your items. When you donate, tell the shop team you're already registered for Retail Gift Aid and they'll take some details to allow them to match your items to your Retail Gift Aid account.
I am not a UK taxpayer and my personal tax circumstances have changed. How do I contact you to change my personal details?
Unfortunately, you'll need to be at least a basic rate UK taxpayer to be able to add Gift Aid to your donation. If your circumstances change and you no longer pay tax, please contact us at your earliest convenience to let us know. If you have paid insufficient tax to meet the Gift Aid claimed by Heart of Kent Hospice, HMRC may seek to recover this sum from your directly, as it is your responsibility to pay any difference. You can send your Retail Gift Aid enquiries to gift.aid@hokh.co.uk or call our Fundraising Team at 01622 790195.
Is Retail Gift Aid the same as gift aid on cash donations?
The principle is the same but, as there are additional agency terms and conditions for Retail Gift Aid, the two are operated separately. If you've previously added Gift Aid to a cash donation or a sponsorship form, you'll also need to sign up to Retail Gift Aid separately. You can find out more about Gift Aid on cash donations by clicking the button below:
Gift AidI have signed up for Retail Gift Aid with another charity, do I still need to sign up with Heart of Kent Hospice?
Yes. Each charity will have their own Terms and Conditions, so it's important you're aware of these when you make a new Retail Gift Aid declaration. Each charity will also provide you with your unique Gift Aid number.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about Retail Gift Aid or you would like help completing your form, please contact us at gift.aid@hokh.co.uk or call our Fundraising Team at 01622 790195.