At no cost to you, you can increase the value of your gifts to ICS.

Tax-efficient methods where ICS reclaims the tax on your gift

Gift Aid - for regular or one-off gifts of money

If you can use Gift Aid, ICS can reclaim £2.82 for each £10 you donate, making your £10 gift worth £12.82 at no cost to you (tax year 2007-2008 figures), or £12.50 from 6 April 2008 onwards. (The Government has now agreed to allow charities to reclaim tax at the old tax rate for a transitional period but in the medium term the amount of tax we can reclaim on your gift will reduce.)

To use Gift aid you need to be a UK taxpayer (resident or non-resident) and in a tax year pay an amount of UK Income or Capital Gains Tax equal to the tax that ICS can reclaim on your gift. You can sign a Gift Aid declaration (available from ICS) or make a declaration over the phone or on the Internet at http://www.ics-uk.org/support/donate.shtml.

If you are a higher rate taxpayer, you can set off the donation against your income and obtain tax relief for the difference between higher rate and standard rate on your self-assessment form.

Non-UK residents other than Crown servants or members of the UK armed forces serving overseas can use Gift Aid if they have Income or Capital Gains charged to UK tax that are at least equal to the gross amount of the donation i.e. the donation before deduction of basic rate Income Tax (rate: 22% tax year 2007-2008, or 20% from 6 April 2008 onwards)

Tax-efficient methods where ICS does not have to reclaim taxI

• If you are due any refund of tax on your self-assessment UK tax return, you may elect to have it paid direct to ICS on the self-assessment form. Our charity code is LAA67QG.
  
• Payroll Giving
  If your employer operates this scheme (sometimes known as Give as you Earn) you can give to charities such as the society direct from your pay packet. The donor (i.e. the employee) benefits immediately from tax relief at their highest rate of tax as tax on their salary is calculated after the value of the donations is deducted. Until April 2004, the UK Government is increasing the value of Payroll Giving gifts to us by 10% to encourage people to use the scheme. The agency that distributes the gifts for your employer normally deducts a small handling charge. Why not check if your employer operates this scheme - or will start one if enough employees wish to use it?
  
• Charities Aid Foundation, Stewardship Services or similar agencies.
  ICS accepts charity cards and vouchers from a variety of agencies, as well as regular automated payments. If you have a CAF Charity Card you can donate online at http://www.cafonline.org/apps/Charities/CharityProfileLink.aspx?MainId=34315&SubId=135127&Source=CAF
  If you wish to use the Payroll Giving or give via an agency such as CAF or Stewardship Services, please let us know how much you intend to give, and from what date you expect payments to begin, either on a donation form or by e-mailing us (remembering to include your name and address). Then contact your employer (for Payroll) or the appropriate agency.
  

Giving by companies
Gifts (and payments due under pre 01 April 2000 Deeds of Covenant) should now be paid gross and the amount set off against profits when calculating Corporation Tax.

Gifts of shares, securities, land and property by individuals and companies
You can give ICS various types of shares and securities; From 6 April 2000 individuals can claim a deduction for the gift against their income for Income Tax purposes. From 1 April 2000 companies can claim a deduction for the gift for Corporation Tax purposes. This is in addition to the exemption from Capital Gains Tax and Corporation Tax on chargeable gains which was already available for gifts of investments to charity. No tax is deducted from the gift so charities do not need to reclaim any tax from the Inland Revenue in connection with the gift.

The following categories of investment qualify for the relief

• shares and securities listed or dealt in on the UK stock exchange, including the Alternative Investment Market,
• shares and securities listed or dealt in on recognised foreign stock exchanges
• units in an authorised unit trust (AUT)
• shares in a UK open-ended investment company (OEIC)
• holdings in certain foreign collective investment schemes - broadly, schemes established outside the UK equivalent to unit trusts and OEICs
  (for more information go to www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk and look for information on Giving to Charity and then Gifts of Shares and Securities)

(for more information go to http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ and look for information on Giving to Charity and then Gifts of Shares and Securities)

From April 2002, similar reliefs are available for gifts of land or real property.

If you wish to transfer a substantial holding of shares, land or property direct to ICS, please contact David Healey on giving@ics-uk.org in advance.

An alternative route is to use the services of ShareGift, the charity share donation scheme which can accept small or large holdings of shares. ShareGift collect donated shares, sell them and then distribute the proceeds to a variety of charities including ICS. There is no charge for the service. Go to www.ShareGift.org for full details of how the scheme works.

Remember us in your will
Gifts by UK taxpayers to registered charities such as ICS are free of UK Inheritance Tax. For more information, please go to ICS and your will.

Important note
This is only a brief and general statement of UK tax law and should not be relied on as definitive. It is no substitute for specific advice from your tax office or a professional adviser with appropriate expertise.