GIFT AID> Gift aid print and send form

I am currently trying to work out the best way to put a Gift Aid form on our website, get the results emailed to us and to the donor if they wish, and possibly get the information into a spreadsheet or database automatically. I know HTML & CSS and a little PHP but the more I look into the options the more I am confused about how to get it done, whether there are data protection implications etc. I also found myself creating a 'zoho creator' application that would do the form and put it into a spreadsheet - does anyone know whether there would be any problems with using that for collecting Gift Aid declarations?
We are quite a new group and have just been accepted for charitable tax status by HMRC charities (not Charity Commission yet as we have under £5,000 although once we have collected the backdated declarations and made our first claim we may be able to apply to the Charity Commission).
I tried to look at your form but the link didn't work.
Any advice gratefully received! Sorry for the long post.

Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 12:24:00 +0100
From: John Porter

We have only offered the "since 6th April" option in our decalaration forms
(this is also what my sampling of mailings received by myself and colleagues
shows to be standard). Although this is not strict scientific test we have
seen no hint of a problem as a result.

John Porter
Direct Marketing Manager
Woodland Trust
[email]johnporter@woodland-trust.org.uk[/email]

I'd be delighted to comment, it's a nice idea to have a "good practice" standard form. Trouble is the published link doesn't work.

Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 10:24:16 +0100
From: Julian Smyth

Just one small correction to Helen's posting which I received last week from
the horse's mouth (i.e. FICO) - donors do NOT have to be resident in the UK
for tax purposes, they merely have to pay an adequate amount of UK income
tax or CGT which is not the same thing at all.

This is important as many of us will have overseas supporters who
nevertheless have some UK taxable income (property, share portfolios,
businesses etc.) and their gifts can become more beneficial.

Julian Smyth
(Director, Sherborne School Foundation & Principal Consultant,
ASK Associates)
[email]Julian@ask.org.uk[/email]

Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 09:05:45 +0100
From: Helen Foster Pinel

Some comments on the example form.

1. The wording means that donors will have to submit a new form every
time they give you a donation. What about giving them the option of the
Declaration covering either just this gifts of all gifts they give or
have given since 6/4/00 (when the changes came into effect)? We do this
with our written forms and have found that most people go for the all
gifts option, saving admin for us and meaning the donors don't have to
worry about it in future.

2. Donors also have to be resident in the UK for tax purposes, unless
they are diplomats or members of the armed forces.

3. Capital Gains Tax counts as well as Income Tax.

4. They don't have to pay tax that is more than the gift, but tax which
is more than the amount you will reclaim on the gift (approximately 28p
for every pound they give).

The Inland Revenue produce a standard template and will also look at
form templates for you to check that they meet their requirements.

Hope this helps.

Helen Foster Pinel
Direct Marketing Manager, The Refugee Council
[email]Helen.FosterPinel@RefugeeCouncil.org.uk[/email]