HMRC launches survey to improve Gift Aid repayment
Howard Lake | 7 March 2006 | News
In an effort to provide a simpler and more efficient service to charities, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Charities office is inviting charities that claim Gift Aid to respond to an online survey.
If you are a charity that has claimed a Gift Aid repayment, HMRC would like your views on how they might improve their service.
Each year HMRC Charities repays over £600 million, in around 150,000 transactions, to charities using the Gift Aid scheme.
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“The sector tells us that, by and large, they are happy with the repayment service we provide and the telephone, email and other support that we offer”, explained Andy Jones, Outreach Manager at the Inland Revenue Charities Office.
However, he added: “Although we are looking at many areas of our operation the most important is the repayment service we provide and that is what we want to review in detail and change for the better for the charities that use it.”
He is convinced that there is still much more to be made of Gift Aid by charities, but HMRC needs to be ready to handle that. He sees the need for “a step rise in our performance and the way we do business.” He welcomes the fact that “a vibrant charity sector is constantly pushing for greater use and [that] methods of donating are far more varied”, with online and SMS donations having grown considerably since the Gift Aid changes of 2000.
Central to handling this growth is getting the repayment process right. HMRC is already looking at identifying ways in which to iron out unnecessary steps in its process. But Andy Jones admits that “it is not as smooth as it can be”.
The survey is short, consisting primarily of yes/no answers. It is not intended to test customer mood or attitude but to pinpoint the potential problem areas and then do something about them. The questions therefore are aimed at those charities that already make repayment claims.
Andy Jones, who proved a popular speaker at last year’s UK Fundraising Perfect Pitch Gift Aid event and who will be speaking again this year, noted “No doubt you recognise that this is a refreshing change in the way we engage with customers.”
The survey results will be fed into internal workshops to be held by HMRC. “If it needs changing we will change it”, confirms Mr Jones. Once changes have been identified, he will feed back via UK Fundraising and other resources to explain what HMRC intends doing and continue the dialogue with the sector. The results will also be presented and discussed at the next UK Fundraising Perfect Pitch Gift Aid on 29 June 2006.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.