Klara Schmidt
How to give as you earn, tax free, to help animals. Learn more about gift aid.
Whether you already donate to The Humane League UK, or would like to start helping animals by donating, Payroll Giving might be the most cost-efficient way for you to support us. It’s easy for you to set this up - read on to find out how.
What is Payroll Giving? Payroll Giving, otherwise known as Workplace Giving or Give As You Earn (GAYE), is a way for UK taxpayers to give money to UK Registered Charities easily and tax-free. Because it’s tax-free you can pay less to give more!
It’s a way you can give directly from your paycheck each month (the amount is up to you) so it’s totally hassle-free.
If you are an employee Many employers already have a GAYE scheme set up. Depending on the structure at your workplace, you may find more information in your employee handbook, by contacting your HR team, or by asking your line manager. They will be able to instruct you on the process of setting up donations through Payroll Giving.
The amount of tax relief you get depends on the rate of tax you pay.
If your employer has not yet set up such a scheme, you can ask them to choose a Payroll Giving agency and get started.
What if your employer does not support animal charities through Payroll Giving? We understand that such a policy can be frustrating if you, like us, are committed to making this world a better place for animals.
However, there may be a way around it. Some companies specifically state that they are willing to support an animal charity if their work benefits humans (others don’t, but it is still worth checking).
You can refer your employer to our Charity Commission Page, on which they will see that our third objective officially is to ‘advance the education of the public in the subjects of vegetarianism and veganism in the context of improving public health’.
If they have any questions, they can get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to provide more information.
If you are an employer If you’d like to offer this scheme to your employees, but you’re not already set up, contact a Payroll Giving agency. If you can, choose a scheme with no admin fees, so that all the funds go directly to the cause. If you choose an agency that charges admin fees, you can choose to cover those fees so that 100% of donations go to the causes chosen by your employees.
Each time you run payroll, make deductions - the donation will be taken from employees’ pay before tax but after National Insurance.
Then, simply send the donations to your agency - they’ll pass them on to the chosen charities.
If you run your own business If you're self-employed and run your own (sole) business, donating to charity as a business can be complex due to the legal requirements. But that doesn't mean you have to miss out on tax-efficient giving. WorkForGood, an innovative fundraising platform, digitally automates the giving process, allowing businesses to pledge donations of any size, within minutes. Visit our page here, and sign up to start supporting THL UK.
More ways to support THL UK through your workplace Some of your colleagues may not yet have a charity they would like to give to, giving you the perfect opportunity to inspire them to become a hero for animals and support THL UK! Share our website and social media accounts with them so that they can find out more about the work we do.
Are you or your employer looking for a charity partner? We would love to hear from you! Our Corporate Partnerships Guide delivers an overview of the benefits of partnering with us.
As always, I’m here for you to answer any of your questions. Get in touch by email.
