Guides for UK Churches

The rules on Gift Aid, data protection and email, in plain English, with links to the official guidance.

• How to Claim Gift Aid for Your Church

  Leaving Gift Aid unclaimed costs your church 25p on every £1 given. Here’s how to check gifts, fill in HMRC’s spreadsheet and claim on time.

• Gift Aid Declarations: What Your Church Needs to Keep

  One missing detail can make a Gift Aid declaration invalid, and every gift it covers with it. Check what HMRC needs from paper, online and spoken declarations.

• The Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme for Churches

  Your plate collection could be worth up to £2,000 a year without a single declaration. Here’s how the Small Donations Scheme works for churches.

• GDPR for Churches: A Plain-English Guide

  Simply having someone on your church records says something about their faith, so the law treats it with extra care. Here’s what UK churches need to do.

• Emailing Your Church: When You Need Consent

  A rota reminder and a fundraising appeal follow different rules. Here’s when your church needs consent to email people, and how the new charity soft opt-in works.

• New Charity Accounts Thresholds: What Changes for Your Church

  From years ending on or after 30 September 2026, more churches can skip an independent examination. Here are the new limits for churches in England and Wales.

• What to Do If Your Church Has a Data Breach

  A lost laptop or a hacked supplier can put your members’ details at risk. Here’s when your church must tell the ICO and the Charity Commission, and what to record.

• DBS Checks: What Your Church Can Keep on File

  Churches shouldn’t keep copies of DBS certificates. Here’s what you can record after a check, and why it needs extra care under data protection law.