# Treasury launches Gift Aid consultation - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/06/25/treasury-launches-gift-aid-consultation/ - Published: 2007-06-25T23:00:00+01:00 - Author: Howard Lake Gift aid consultation Following a commitment made in the Budget, the Treasury has launched a consultation on gift aid. Some of the key themes already identified are: · Encouraging charities to use gift aid, particularly smaller and local charities, where the perception is often that it is too complicated to introduce a gift aid scheme ## Advertisement · Donors – encouraging donors to give tax-effectively · Wealthy donors and higher-rate taxpayers – encouraging wealthy donors to give tax-effectively, including increasing their donations by passing their higher-rate relief to the charity · Gift aid on admissions – how the scheme works and how Âgift aid visits can be encouraged · The record-keeping and auditing process – how the current record-keeping requirements work and whether the audit process can be improved The consultation documents can be downloaded from the Treasury website. During June and July you can express interest in attending the various regional and national events that will be held in August and September. You will also be able to steer themes of meetings through the consultation website by completing an online survey. Written responses to the consultation have to be submitted by the end of September and a report on progress will be issued in the Autumn and Winter, presumably as part of the Pre-Budget Report. There will then be further consultation with various groups over the winter, leading to an announcement in Spring 2008. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Stephen Timms MP, and the Minister for the Third Sector, Ed Milliband MP, today met with representatives from the charity sector to launch the Government’s consultation on measures to increase the take-up of the Gift Aid tax relief. The consultation will span the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, gathering views from a diverse and comprehensive range of charities. The Treasury will report on progress later this year. Stephen Timms said: “The consultation being launched today re-affirms the Government’s commitment to supporting and working in partnership with a vibrant third sector. Take up of Gift Aid currently stands at around a third of donations, delivering support for charities worth £828m per year. We all want to see this improve, and this consultation is the first step towards realising that goal. Today’s meeting has raised a number of important issues that will be discussed over the coming months.” Ed Milliband added: “It is very important to get the views of the charitable sector about how we can strengthen Gift Aid and I hope that a diverse range of charities will take part in the consultation. Reforms over the past ten years have made Gift Aid easier, simpler and open to more donors. But CAF estimates that £700m more could be claimed through Gift Aid by charities with more tax-effective giving. I hope that this consultation will lead to practical changes that will make the system even better so that charities, both small and large, get the full benefit”. Notes to Editors 1. In recognition of the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy, the Prime Minister created the Office of the Third Sector( OTS) (Cabinet Office website) in May 2006 to drive forward the Government’s role in supporting a thriving third sector, and join up sector-related work across government. 2. The Gift Aid consultation document can be found on the Treasury website. Media enquiries should be addressed to the Treasury Press Office on 020 7270 5238 or the Cabinet Office on 020 7276 0311. * **[Institute's PR in Fundraising SIG to go ahead](https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/06/27/institute039s-pr-fundraising-sig-go-ahead/)**( 27 June 2007) * **[University of Bath receives £1 million endowment from trust](https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/06/28/university-bath-receives-1-million-endowment-trust/)**( 28 June 2007) * **[CoffeeHouse Challenge offers £20,000 to kickstart local projects](https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/07/03/coffeehouse-challenge-offers-20000-kickstart-local-projects/)**( 3 July 2007)