# Gift Aid is changing… for the better!

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/03/06/gift-aid-changing-better/
- Published: 2013-03-06T09:15:34+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

![](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/files/images/news/be-a-giftaid-visitor.jpg)

 

Whilst the Gift Aid scheme is not undergoing the kind of changes it experienced 
in 2006, it is changing again and it’s important to understand how these changes
will affect your organisation.

Up until this year, Gift Aid claims have been processed manually, with claimants
being required to compile, print-out and submit details of their claims to HMRC 
via the postal service. Using this current method of submission, claims are paid
within 21 days of receipt. From April 2013, this is set to change in favour of an
automatic system, aimed at expediting the process – both in terms of the length 
of time applications take to create and to process.

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## How will Gift Aid be claimed from April 2013?

[Gift Aid](https://fundraising.co.uk/tag/gift-aid/) claimants will no doubt be pleased
to learn that the current, labour-intensive method of manual claim submission will
no longer be the only option. An online portal, entitled **Charities Online**, will
come into effect from April 2013, allowing claims to be processed via the internet
without a piece of paper or a postage stamp in sight.

## As an existing Gift Aid claimant, how will the changes affect me?

In short, they don’t really have to, if you don’t want them to. For claimants who
do not wish to change from the postal method of submission which is currently in
place, that option will remain.

In this scenario, the only thing changing will be the form itself, with the current
R68 forms being replaced by new ChR1 forms. HMRC have no plans at present to discontinue
this practice as the provision must exist for all eligible organisations to claim
[Gift Aid](https://fundraising.co.uk/tag/gift-aid/), irrespective of whether they
have internet access or not.

For those who wish to utilise the new Charities Online facility, the apparent benefits
are twofold:

 *  A significant reduction in the amount of time charitable organisations will 
   need to spend on claim creation;
     
 *  The complete removal of postal costs and the additional time expenses associated
   with such. This may be seen by some as a nominal financial expense (paper, ink
   and postage) but consider also the environmental benefits: the carbon costs associated
   with many thousands of manual claim submissions are far from insignificant.

Whilst HMRC’s payment period will remain at 21 days, removing the need physically
to transport the forms from claimant to recipient will mean that online claimants
should receive their money slightly quicker (with 1-2 days being shaved off the 
claims process).

In addition to processing the claims online, the option is also available to utilise
specialist Gift Aid software to automate the process, sending all the relevant forms
and information directly to HMRC, requiring a minimal amount of user intervention.

_[Merlin Software](http://www.merlinsoft.co.uk) are a Yorkshire-based software supplier
to charity and tourist attractions across the UK._

 

 * **[Web-based Gift Aid tool developed for smaller charities](https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/08/05/webbased-gift-aid-tool-developed-smaller-charities/)**(
   5 August 2013)
 * **[Comic Relief shares its Gift Aid software with other charities for free](https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/10/14/comic-relief-shares-its-gift-aid-software-other-charities-free/)**(
   14 October 2013)
 * **[Majority of south coast charities positive about income for 2014](https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/10/16/majority-south-coast-charities-positive-about-income-2014/)**(
   16 October 2013)

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