This is a little different to the blogs that I have done up to now. This contains reminders of a few changes coming up that we, as charities, must be aware of and ready for.
Payroll Changes
No doubt you will have heard of RTI – but do you know what it refers to? It stands for Real Time Information and is a change that most of us will need to make from April – all of us from October at the latest – depending on the date that the HMRC has sent to you.
Each time you run your payroll, there is additional information that will need to be included, and information relating to all of your staff will need to be sent directly to HMRC, instead of the Annual Return at the end of the tax year. It means that your payroll will need to be processed electronically, which you may not be doing now.
If you run your own payroll, make sure that you are ready – and if you employ an accountant or somebody, have a chat to them and ensure they are ready.
If you need to talk to somebody for further information on these changes, or you need someone to run your payroll for you, please give me a call.
Gift Aid Changes
There are two changes that you need to be aware of if you claim Gift Aid – and if you don’t, you need to be and I can help you to get registered.
HMRC have made changes to the process for claiming Gift Aid, and are encouraging us all to apply online. There will be changes to the process of claiming – and you need to ensure that you are prepared for this. If you wish to continue making paper claims, this will be possible, but will take longer to receive payment.
The Small Donations Scheme starts in April as well, where claims can be made for small donations where no Gift Aid declarations are held. Claims can be made on a maximum of £5k of donations during any tax year, giving a potential increased income of £1,250.
If you do not claim Gift Aid at the moment, you need to register and start as it can increase donations received by 25%. If you want help in getting started, in preparing for these changes, or in recording and claiming your Gift Aid, please get in touch and I would be happy to help.
Training
I am considering running a training session for Trustees, outlining the duties and responsibilities that apply to Trustees later in the year. If you would be interested in sending people along – or would like me to come and provide some training for your Trustee team, please let me know.
AFVS
The cutbacks currently being applied to the Charity Commission are changing the role that they fulfil. They are reducing their ability to answer general queries and are encouraging charities to join an umbrella body. If you would find this useful, I would point you toward the Alliance For the Voluntary Sector (AFVS), of which I am a local representative, and would recommend you consider becoming a member to access specialist advice. You can see what we offer at www.afvs.org.uk and please feel free to have a look around the site. If you wish to discuss membership of AFVS, please contact me to discuss this further.
For help in any of these issues, please contact me by phone on 029 21250580 or 07767 386040 or by email at paul@cmanagementservices.co.uk. I would be pleased to help you in any way I can. A word of warning – if you try ringing me on Sunday afternoon, you may not get much sense as I will be at Wembley Stadium, cheering on my team in the Cup Final!!