Gift Aid - an update for members

Readers will know that over recent years a number of rule changes by HMRC have resulted in the need to redesign our Gift Aid forms to ensure we fully comply when making our claims each year and I have kept you all informed through this newsletter and the annual accounts.

I am pleased to report that this year's submission was successful and we received the sum of £1,715.50 repayment direct into our community bank account. This was based upon £6,862 in membership fees or donations by members who have completed a Gift Aid form in the past. Whilst I know some members no longer pay income tax or choose not to gift aid their subscription or donation, our income from subscriptions and donations to date during 2016 total in excess of £11,000 and there may well be additional monies we could claim.

This brief update offers me the opportunity to appeal to any member who is not currently Gift Aiding (and paying income tax) or is not sure if they have previously completed a form, to contact me to request a Gift Aid form or to check their status on our membership database. This is an important source of additional income for us and I am keen to ensure we are claiming the full amount available to us as a Society.

Graham Smith Treasurer