Donations and Gift Aid

Aberdeen Science Centre is a registered charity in Scotland, SC014922. Below is a list of frequently asked questions around donations and gift aid. 

As an independent charity, Aberdeen Science Centre relies on income from ticket sales, donations, and fundraising to open our science centre doors and continue our work with schools and within the community. If you can afford to contribute a bit more at this time, please consider adding a small donation to your admission ticket, and opt-in to gift aid your donation if you’re a UK taxpayer.  Your support is our superpower!  

What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid is a Government scheme, open to all charity supporters and visitors to places like Aberdeen Science Centre, who pay UK Income and Capital Gains tax. For every pound you earn, you pay 25p in basic tax (20% basic rate of tax). By signing up to Gift Aid every time you donate, the charity can reclaim the tax you have paid based on the value of the donation. So, a £10 donation from you enables charities to reclaim £2.50 from HMRC. Charities are very dependent on Gift Aid.

Aberdeen Science Centre is an educational charity and donations and Gift Aid make a massive difference to us. Your collective donations enable us to meet our mission; to inspire a lifelong interest in science by creating engaging experiences.

Am I eligible for gift aid?

To be eligible you have to be a UK taxpayer, paying tax on your salary, savings, investments, pensions or capital gains. All these qualify, as long as the total tax you pay is at least equal to the amount we, and other charities you donate to, can reclaim on your donations.

How much TAX do I need to pay to be eligible for gift aid?

In one financial year you must have paid at least 25p in income or capital gains tax for every £1 you donate to charity. Every income tax payer has a tax-exempt threshold before they start paying tax. So please ensure you are paying enough tax to Gift Aid your donations.

How much more will my donation be worth?

For every donation you give, we can claim 25% of the value of your donation from the Government.  So, if you donate £4 and opt-in to Gift Aid, we can claim an additional £1 from the Government, or if you donate £20 and opt-in to Gift Aid, your donation will be worth £25! 
We can also claim Gift Aid on donations you’ve made in the past, up to four years ago.  

 
Admissions, Donations and Gift Aid Explained  

As a charity, if a donation of at least 10% of the admission price is included, we can treat the whole ticket price as a donation that is eligible for gift-aid.  By saying YES to gift aid, we can claim 25p for every £1 you donate from the UK Government to support our charity.  Example below: 

How do I sign up for gift aid?

In Person: When you visit our site in person you will be asked at the payment desk if you are a UK Taxpayer and if you would like to Gift Aid your donation. If you agree we will then take a few details for us to process the Gift Aid.

Online: When you purchase your tickets online, you will be asked whether you are a UK Tax Payer. If you are, you will be asked if you want to Gift Aid your donation. If you agree we will take you step by step through the simple process.

Will I have to make a gift aid declaration again?

The additional donation and Gift Aid are applied on each visit. So yes, if you visit us more than once, we will ask you each time. Alternatively, if you take out an annual STEM Passport we will claim (with your agreement) Gift Aid once a year.

What if I gift aid through other charities?

That’s great. You can Gift Aid all your donations to different charities – you just have to tick the Gift Aid declaration for each charity you support, and make sure you pay enough tax to cover them. 

How do I know if I am a UK Taxpayer?

You are a UK taxpayer if:

• Tax is taken from your wages or pension before you receive them.
• You have to fill in a self-assessment form.
• You have any taxable savings (in a building society, for instance), a pension plan or investment income, or you have recently paid any Capital Gains Tax/expect to pay it in the near future. This could be on the sale of a property or some shares, for example.
• Remember by signing up to Gift Aid, you are confirming that you are an eligible taxpayer who has paid sufficient tax (and that if you haven’t paid enough tax, it’ll be up to you to make up the difference).

What if I am a pensioner?

You may still be paying tax on a private pension plan or a savings account, or pay Capital Gains Tax if you sell property or shares. You are still eligible if you have paid enough tax during the year to cover your donations (i.e. 25% of the value of your gifts).

What should I do if my tax status changes or I need/want to cancel my declaration?

Because this is based on only claiming Gift Aid once you have visited us, we are unable to refund any Gift Aid we will have claimed from HMRC, so please be aware of your UK Tax status before agreeing to Gift Aid your additional donation.

What If I don’t pay UK Tax?

Unfortunately, the Gift Aid scheme is only open to UK Tax payers, so you’re not eligible for Gift Aid. 

I don’t pay tax, but my partner does. Can I Gift Aid through them?

If your partner accompanies you on the visit to Aberdeen Science Centre, please ask them to pay, donate and claim Gift Aid in their name. Otherwise, we are unable to claim Gift Aid on your donation.

Who will be able to access my Gift Aid information?

Only HMRC and authorised staff from Aberdeen Science Centre. We do not share your information with anyone else without your permission.

Can I contact you if I have any other questions?

If you have any further questions about Gift Aid – or if your circumstances change – please e-mail us at finance@asc.scot