--- title: "How to give tax-efficiently in the UK | CharityCompare" description: "Gift Aid, higher-rate relief, Payroll Giving, shares and legacy gifts — how each UK tax relief works and which one gives your chosen charity the most." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/tax-efficient-giving-uk retrieved: 2026-08-18T01:24:19.377Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- # How to give tax-efficiently in the UK **In short:** Gift Aid adds 25p per £1 at no cost to you. Higher and additional-rate taxpayers can reclaim more through Self Assessment, and Payroll Giving, share gifts and legacies each carry their own reliefs. Data from [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 25 July 2026. Several UK tax reliefs let the same donation deliver more to a charity, and some cost you nothing at all. This guide covers each in the order most donors meet them. ## Gift Aid Gift Aid is the core UK relief on individual donations. When you tick the declaration, the charity reclaims basic-rate tax on the **gross** value of your gift — worth **25p for every £1** you give. To qualify you must be a UK taxpayer who has paid at least as much Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax in the tax year as the charity will reclaim on your donations. If you pay no tax, a Gift Aid declaration can leave you owing HMRC the difference, so decline it. Gift Aid does not apply to donations made on behalf of someone else, to money raised via a collection where individual donors are unidentified, or to the purchase price of goods and services — although charity shops can Gift Aid the proceeds of goods you donate under the retail Gift Aid scheme. Our [Gift Aid basics guide](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/gift-aid-basics) covers declarations and record-keeping in more detail. ## Higher and additional-rate relief This is the relief most often left unclaimed. The charity reclaims only the basic rate; if you pay tax above that, **you** can claim the difference. On a £100 donation with Gift Aid, the gross value is £125: - **40% taxpayer** — reclaim 20% of £125, about **£25**. - **45% taxpayer** — reclaim 25% of £125, about **£31**. Claim it on your Self Assessment return, or contact HMRC to adjust your tax code if you do not file one. You can also carry a donation back to the previous tax year if you claim before filing that year’s return, which is useful if your rate was higher then. ## Payroll Giving Payroll Giving — sometimes called Give As You Earn — takes your donation from gross pay before Income Tax. A £10 pledge costs a basic-rate taxpayer £8, a higher-rate taxpayer £6, and an additional-rate taxpayer £5.50. The advantages are that relief is immediate at your top rate with nothing to reclaim, and giving is regular, which charities value because it makes income predictable. The limits are that your employer must run a scheme, charities cannot add Gift Aid on top, and National Insurance is not relieved. ## Giving shares, securities and land Donating qualifying shares, securities, land or buildings to a UK charity carries two reliefs at once: **no Capital Gains Tax** on the disposal, and the market value is deductible against your Income Tax. For an appreciated holding this is often the single most efficient way to make a large gift. The charity must be able to accept the asset, so speak to it first — many smaller charities cannot handle share transfers directly. ## Legacies and Inheritance Tax Charitable gifts in a will are **exempt from Inheritance Tax**. Beyond that, leaving **10% or more of your net estate** to charity reduces the Inheritance Tax rate on the remainder of the estate from 40% to 36%. Because the 10% test is measured against a statutory definition of the net estate rather than the headline value, this is worth drafting with a solicitor. Legacies are also the largest single source of voluntary income for many UK charities, so a modest share of an estate goes a long way. ## Choosing where it goes Tax efficiency decides how much arrives; it says nothing about whether the charity uses it well. Once you know which relief you are using, check the recipient on the same evidence you would apply to any organisation handling your money — filing record, cause spend, reserves and governance. You can compare up to four charities working on the same cause with the [comparison tool](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities), or browse the [full directory](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity-directory) with free Clarity Scores from regulator filings. **This guide is general information, not tax or financial advice.** Rates and thresholds change, and your position depends on your circumstances — check current rules on GOV.UK or speak to a qualified adviser before acting. ## Common questions ### How much does Gift Aid add to my donation? + Gift Aid adds 25p for every £1 you give, because the charity reclaims basic-rate tax on the gross value of your gift. A £100 donation becomes £125 for the charity at no extra cost to you, provided you have paid enough UK Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax in that tax year to cover the reclaim. ### Can higher-rate taxpayers claim extra tax relief on donations? + Yes. The charity claims the basic rate, and you can claim the difference between the basic rate and your highest rate through Self Assessment or by asking HMRC to adjust your tax code. On a £100 Gift Aided donation a 40% taxpayer can typically reclaim £25, and a 45% taxpayer about £31. ### Is Payroll Giving better than Gift Aid? + It depends on your tax rate. Payroll Giving takes the donation before Income Tax, so relief is immediate at your highest rate and there is nothing to reclaim — which suits higher-rate taxpayers who do not file Self Assessment. Gift Aid, however, lets the charity reclaim tax and is available to anyone, including people not in employment. ### Do I pay tax if I leave money to charity in my will? + Gifts to UK charities in a will are exempt from Inheritance Tax, and if you leave 10% or more of your net estate to charity the Inheritance Tax rate on the rest of the estate falls from 40% to 36%. Take professional advice when drafting, because the 10% test is calculated on a specific statutory basis. ## Read next - [What is Gift Aid? Gift Aid lets an eligible UK charity claim an extra 25p per £1 you donate if you have paid enough Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax — it costs you nothing extra, but you must opt in and stay eligible.](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/gift-aid-basics) - [Payroll Giving UK — Give As You Earn explained for donors & employers Payroll Giving takes donations from gross pay before tax — relief is instant. Gift Aid tops up net donations by 25% for the charity. Compare both with our free calculator, then verify the charity’s Clarity Score and charity number before you set up a deduction.](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/payroll-giving-uk) - [Zakat and faith giving UK — calculate, verify, give with clarity Calculate Zakat with today’s silver nisab (you enter the price — we never bake in a stale figure), then give to organisations you have verified as registered charities. Clarity Score rates filing transparency, not religious eligibility.](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/zakat-and-faith-giving-uk) Ready to check a specific charity? Every profile shows a free Clarity Score from regulator filings. [Search charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity-directory) [Compare](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities) **Information only** — not donation advice.