Technology

Posted on April 6, 2017 by staff

Cloud-based Gift Aid portal hits £1 billion milestone

Technology

Leading British charities have processed over £1 billion in value of gross donations through online Gift Aid portal Advanced since its launch in 2013.

This has resulted in tax repayments of around a quarter of a billion pounds.

The cloud-based solution helps charities successfully manage the online Gift Aid processing requirement for HMRC Charities Online, saving both time and eradicating errors.

“Advanced provides us with a very reliable and effective solution to process Gift Aid claims electronically in line with the HMRC requirement,” says Tony Gamble, Head of IT for Cats Protection.

“We are now able to process claims 50 per cent faster compared to paper claims which used to take the team a whole afternoon!

“We claim Gift Aid income on behalf of our 250 volunteer-run branches who care for unwanted cats, so we very much welcome the increased efficiencies.”

Advanced developed the Gift Aid portal for its not-for-profit clients, which integrates with its fundraising solutions for charities.

“Gift Aid is an incredibly valuable source of funds for charities and it’s great that our portal has helped make it easier and faster when processing their online claims with HMRC,” said Mark Dewell, Managing Director – Commercial and Third Sector -Advanced.

“This is an example of how a digital-first strategy delivers a positive impact for everyone – for HMRC in being able to automate claims, for charities in receiving their Gift Aid rebate from HMRC much quicker, and for consumers in maximising their donations. We’re delighted to have reached this milestone.”

Feedback from some of the leading charities using the portal have indicated benefits in four key areas, including the validation of submissions and alerts for entry errors.

The platform’s online automation also  removes the previous manual administrative process of printing, signing and posting each form and faster processing means charities get receipt of the valuable Gift Aid funds more quickly.

Some of the largest charities using the portal include Save the Children UK, RSPB, RSPCA, WWF, Plan UK, The English Heritage Trust, Marie Curie, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, Cats Protection and Amnesty International UK.

Gift Aid is worth £1.3 billion a year to charities and their donors. It was introduced in 2000 by the UK Government as a way for charities or Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) to increase the value of monetary gifts from UK taxpayers by claiming back the basic rate tax paid by the donor on the donation.

It increases the value of donations by a quarter at no extra cost to the donor.

All Gift Aid claims must now be made online directly to HMRC and organisations processing claims in excess of 1,000 records must be uploaded directly to the Government Gateway.