The registered charity, Chatsworth House Trust, is dedicated to looking after the house, collections, garden, parkland, and woodlands for the benefit of everyone.

All income from ticket sales and donations goes directly to Chatsworth House Trust and is reinvested in the upkeep, preservation, and improvement of Chatsworth, essential conservation work (such as the cleaning of the portrait of Duchess Georgiana by Maria Cosway above), and our learning programme. 

When you purchase tickets to visit Chatsworth, you are given the opportunity to add gift aid*.

How it works:

  • When purchasing a ticket to the house, garden and farmyard, whether online or in person, if you choose to add an optional 10% donation, you will then be asked if you would like to make a Gift Aid declaration (if you are a UK taxpayer).
  • If you are able to use Gift Aid, Chatsworth House Trust receives an extra 25%  from the government to help care for Chatsworth and deliver our learning programme at no extra cost to you. 

*You must be a UK taxpayer

Learn more about Gift Aid

1. What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid is one of the simplest and most effective ways of giving to charity. It is a scheme introduced by HM Revenue & Customs, which means that charities can reclaim the basic rate tax you pay as a UK taxpayer.

Tax is claimed at the basic rate of 20% (which is 25% on the net value of your donation). This means that under Gift Aid, for every £1 you give, Chatsworth House Trust can reclaim at least an additional 25p from HM Revenue & Customs, in lieu of the tax you have paid. You must be a UK taxpayer.

It is a rare opportunity to decide how your tax is spent, and all of this money goes directly to the work of Chatsworth House Trust.

2. How does Gift Aid work at Chatsworth?

For tickets to the house, garden and farmyard, Gift Aid works in the following way:

  • When purchasing a ticket to the house, garden and farmyard, whether online or in person, you will be asked if you would like to make a Gift Aid declaration (if you are a UK taxpayer).
  • If you are able to use Gift Aid, Chatsworth House Trust receives an extra 25%  from the government to help care for Chatsworth and deliver our learning programme at no extra cost to you. 

*You must be a UK taxpayer

3. Why can Chatsworth claim Gift Aid donations?

Chatsworth is run by a charity, Chatsworth House Trust, and all ticket income goes directly towards the upkeep, preservation and improvement of the house, collection and landscape for the long-term benefit of the public.

Chatsworth House Trust is a registered charity, Charity No. 511149.

4. Do I qualify to donate Gift Aid?

To qualify to donate Gift Aid, you need to be a UK taxpayer and to have paid income tax or capital gains tax that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities and Community Amateur Sports clubs you give to will claim on your Gift Aid donations in the year that they are received.

Please note that other taxes – such as Council Tax and VAT – do not count as tax for Gift Aid purposes.

If you are unsure whether you are eligible for donating by Gift Aid, or simply want more information, please visit the HM Revenue & Customs website or call the Gift Aid helpline on 0151 472 6038.

5. What if I pay a higher rate of tax?

If you are a higher rate taxpayer, we are still only able to claim the basic rate of tax on your donation.

However, you are able to reclaim the difference between the amount we reclaim and the 40% you pay yourself through your annual tax return.

6. I am a pensioner, do my donations qualify?

Income from state pensions alone is unlikely to qualify as you would need to earn above the personal allowance threshold to pay income tax.

If this is your only source of income, we would always advise that you check with your tax office before giving Gift Aid.

7. Is there any extra paperwork for me to complete?

No. We reclaim the tax directly from HM Revenue & Customs.

You just need to tick the box online or sign the printed receipt at the tills to confirm you are a UK taxpayer. We do the rest.

However, you may wish to keep a record of donations you make to charity in each tax year, to ensure that you continue to pay enough tax to cover the donations you make under Gift Aid.

8. Do I need to declare anything in my tax return?

No. In relation to gifts you have already given, you only need declare gifts made in the current tax year.

Although the charity can claim back the tax on donations received up to four years ago, you can normally only benefit from tax relief on donations made in the current period.

Please speak to your tax office if in any doubt as to your entitlement.

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