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Church Member Software

Free Gift Aid Declaration Form Template

This Gift Aid form uses the wording from HMRC’s own model declaration, so it covers everything HMRC asks for. It’s made for churches and works for any charity. Add your name, then print it or download it. There’s no sign-up, and none of our branding on the form.

  • Free
  • No sign-up
  • Word and PDF
  • Updated 18 October 2026

1. Add your church’s details

Optional. What you type goes straight into the document. It stays on your computer and isn’t sent to us.

The name HMRC knows your charity by.

Leave it blank if your church isn’t registered.

For example, “the church office” or “Jane Smith, our treasurer”.

2. Download or print

Download Word file

The Word file opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Apple Pages and LibreOffice. Or download the blank PDF.

Preview

Gift Aid Declaration

Boost your donation by 25p of Gift Aid for every £1 you donate

Gift Aid is reclaimed by the charity from the tax you pay for the current tax year. Your address is needed to identify you as a current UK taxpayer.

In order to Gift Aid your donation you must tick the box below:

I want to Gift Aid my donation of £__________ and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past 4 years to:

Name of charity:  

I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

My details

Title
First name or initial(s)
Surname
Full home address
Postcode
Date

Please notify the charity if you:

  • want to cancel this declaration
  • change your name or home address
  • no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains

If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self-Assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code.

Based on HMRC’s model Gift Aid declaration. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

What this form covers

One form covers the gift someone makes today, every gift they make in future and any gifts from the past 4 years. That makes it the right form for regular givers, whether they give by standing order, envelope or card.

For every £1 they give, your church can claim 25p from HMRC. Someone giving £10 a week adds £130 a year to your church, at no cost to them.

What HMRC needs on every declaration

HMRC doesn’t set a design, but every declaration must include:

  • your church’s name
  • the giver’s full name
  • their home address
  • which gifts it covers
  • a statement that they want Gift Aid to apply, such as a ticked box
  • an explanation that they must pay enough UK tax to cover the Gift Aid claimed

This form covers all of them. HMRC doesn’t need a signature.

How givers fill it in

  1. Tick the box. Without the tick, the form isn’t a declaration.
  2. If they’re handing over a gift with the form, write its amount.
  3. Write their first name or initials and their surname.
  4. Write their full home address and postcode. HMRC needs at least the house name or number and the postcode.
  5. Add the date, and hand the form back.

Mistakes that cost churches Gift Aid

  • “Mr & Mrs Smith” on one line isn’t a valid declaration. Give each person their own form.
  • A missing house number or postcode. HMRC uses the address to identify the giver as a UK taxpayer.
  • Rewording the form and losing the tax explanation. “I am a UK taxpayer” on its own isn’t enough.
  • Typing the details into a spreadsheet and throwing the form away. Keep the paper form, or a scan of it, as your evidence.

Keeping the forms safe

A declaration stays in use until the giver cancels it. Keep it for as long as you claim on it. Then keep it for 6 years after the end of the accounting period of the last gift it covers.

The forms show people’s home addresses and that they give to your church. Store them like any other church record: locked away, or scanned and kept somewhere secure.

If someone cancels, write the date on their form. You can’t claim on gifts from that date, but earlier gifts aren’t affected.

Gifts without a form

Loose cash in the collection plate can still earn a top-up through the Small Donations Scheme, with no declaration. Our Small Donations Scheme guide explains how it works.

People can also make a declaration online or over the phone. See what your church needs to keep for each kind.

Questions churches ask

Does a Gift Aid declaration need a signature?
No. HMRC doesn’t need a signature, as long as the declaration includes everything it lists. The form asks for a date so you know when it was made.
Can a couple fill in one form?
HMRC allows couples and people at the same address to share a form, if each person is listed separately. This form is for one person, so it’s simplest to give each person their own.
Does the form cover gifts someone has already made?
Yes, gifts from the past 4 years. Before you add one to a claim, check it’s still within HMRC’s deadline for claiming.
Can we change the wording?
Yes. HMRC doesn’t approve forms, but your version must still include everything HMRC lists. Keeping HMRC’s model wording is the safest choice.
Does a declaration run out?
No. It stays in use until the giver cancels it. Givers should also tell you if they stop paying enough tax, so you can stop claiming on their gifts.

Read next

Sources

This template follows official guidance. It isn’t legal or tax advice, so check anything you’re unsure about with HMRC, the ICO or an adviser.

Or keep every declaration in one place

Church Member Software records each declaration with HMRC’s wording and prints blank forms with your church’s name. It builds your claim on HMRC’s own spreadsheet.

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