Services

Submit a claim for Gift Aid, the Gift Aid small donation scheme (GASDS) and other income; schedule spreadsheets; registering and enrolling for a Charities Online account; activation codes

To start a charity you need trustees, to choose a business structure, decide suitable charitable purposes and you may have to register with the Charity Commission

• Set up a charity

  There are 6 steps to setting up a charity. Find trustees for your charity…

• Charitable purposes

  Your charity must have ‘charitable purposes’ that help the public (known…

• Name your charity

  The official name of your charity is known as its ‘main name’. Your…

• Structures

  You must choose a structure for your charity, which will affect things…

• Governing document

  You must create a ‘governing document’ (or ‘rulebook’) for your charity…

• Register your charity

  You must apply to register your charity if both: its income is at least…

Charities can register online with HMRC and claim tax relief or get tax back on Gift Aid donations and bank interest, charitable purposes, registration

How to set up a charity: find trustees, choose a name and structure, create a governing document, meet the public benefit requirement, register your charity.

• From: The Charity Commission

What Gift Aid is, who can claim, what donations are eligible for Gift Aid, Gift Aid declarations for your charity or community amateur sports club (CASC), how to claim

Use the online forms service or the postal form if your organisation is already registered and you need to tell HMRC about significant changes to your organisation including authorising an agent.

• From: HM Revenue & Customs

The Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies (CIC Regulator)'s form for applying to form a community interest company.

• From: Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies

Tax exemptions and reliefs for charities - apply for recognition by HMRC as a charity, reclaim tax on Gift Aid, profits and expenditure

Trustees of charities in England and Wales should complete and sign this form to confirm their eligibility to be a trustee.

• From: The Charity Commission

Use the Charity Gift Aid declaration form to make multiple Gift Aid donations to a charity or a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) the Gift Aid declaration form to make multiple Gift Aid donations to a CASC and the Charity…

• From: HM Revenue & Customs

Change your charity's details with the Charity Commission online.

Use the Gift Aid declaration form to make a one-off Gift Aid donation to a charity or Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC), or use the form if you're a charity or CASC to give to your supporters.

• From: HM Revenue & Customs

VAT relief available to charities - relief, what you pay, registering, charging VAT

You must send an annual return if your charity’s income is more than £10,000. All charities must keep their registered details up to date.

Set up a Payroll Giving scheme for your employees using PAYE - when to make deductions, costs of running the scheme, which charities are eligible and what they must do when they get the donation

Accounting template (MS Excel) for non-company charities with gross income of £250,000 or less which can prepare receipts and payments accounts.

• From: The Charity Commission

A pro-forma charity trustees' annual report.

• From: The Charity Commission

Remove your charity from the charities register after you've closed (or 'dissolved') it.

Choose authorised officials and responsible persons in your charity to manage your tax - use a nominee or collection agency, complete the 'fit and proper persons' test, let HMRC know about changes

How to prepare the right annual accounts for your charity's structure and income