FAQs
Answers to our frequently asked questions about Gift Aid, donating and other ways to support Brooke.
Gift Aid
Gift Aid on your donations enables Brooke to add much needed funds to all donations we receive from you, which means we can continue to reach even more animals who work so hard and suffer so much.
Am I eligible to sign up for Gift Aid?
How much tax do I need to pay to be eligible for Gift Aid?
Can I Gift Aid my donations if I live overseas?
How do I sign up for Gift Aid?
Will I have to make a Gift Aid declaration again?
What if I donate to several charities and want to Gift Aid to all of them?
How do I know if I pay UK income or capital gains tax?
What should I do if my tax status changes or I need/want to cancel my declaration?
How would Gift Aid affect my tax?
I don’t pay tax but my husband/wife does. Can I Gift Aid through them?
Donating
Why do you ask for donations by direct debit?
How much of my donation will go directly to the animals?
Does Brooke accept donations of veterinary drugs/tack/equipment?
How can I donate/support Brooke in other ways?
How can I find out about leaving a legacy to Brooke?
Can I donate in other currencies?
What is Brooke’s response to the ongoing media coverage of charity fundraising?
Brooke's approach and policy
See also
Questions to consider when leaving a gift to Brooke in your Will.
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a government scheme which is open to all charity supporters who pay UK Income and Capital Gains tax. For every pound you earn you pay 25p (or 20% basic rate of tax). By signing up to Gift Aid, every time you donate your charity can reclaim the tax you have paid based on the value of the donation you have made. So, a £10 donation from you enables charities to reclaim £2.50. Charities are very dependent on Gift Aid.
Am I eligible to sign up for Gift Aid?
You're eligible if you're a UK tax payer living anywhere in the world. However, you must have paid enough tax to cover the amount that all the charities you support would claim in Gift Aid in a tax year (6 April – 5 April the following year). Even if you're not employed, you're still eligible for Gift Aid if you pay tax on any of the following:
- a personal or occupational pension
- bank or building society savings accounts
- rental income
- stocks and shares
- UK and overseas investment dividends
Other taxes such as VAT and council tax do not apply.
As the tax payer, you're responsible for checking your eligibility for Gift Aid as any tax shortfall is the responsibility of the tax payer, so please speak to your accountant or HMRC if you are unclear on how much tax you have paid.
How much tax do I need to pay to be eligible for Gift Aid?
In one financial year you must have paid at least 25p in income or capital gains tax for every £1 you donate to charity. Every Income Tax payer has a tax-exempt threshold before they start paying tax. So please ensure you are paying enough tax to Gift Aid your donations.
Can I Gift Aid my donations if I live overseas?
Yes, if you still pay some form of UK income or capital gains tax. Please email the Supporter Care Team or call 020 7470 9393 if this applies to you.
How do I sign up for Gift Aid?
Simply tick the box on the donation form or call our Supporter Care Team on 020 7470 9393.
Will I have to make a Gift Aid declaration again?
No, once you sign up to Gift Aid your declaration will be ongoing and will cover any future donations you may make. Please notify us if your circumstances change and you no longer pay enough tax to cover your donations. We can also claim Gift Aid on any donations you may have made to us in the previous four years if you were paying tax in that time, just tick and date the Gift Aid Declaration.
What if I donate to several charities and want to Gift Aid to all of them?
You can do this by signing a declaration for each charity. As long as each tax year you will have paid at least the equivalent amount of tax that all the charities combined will be claiming, Gift Aid can be applied. It's your responsibility to repay any difference.
How do I know if I pay UK income or capital gains tax?
If any of the following applies to you:
- income tax is deducted from your salary before you receive it
- you pay tax after submitting a self-assessment form each year
- you have a taxable pension plan, savings (eg with a building society) or investment income
- you have paid capital gains tax (eg on the sale of a property or share)
If you're unsure of your eligibility for Gift Aid, please contact HMRC.
What should I do if my tax status changes or I need/want to cancel my declaration?
Please inform us:
- by phone: 020 7470 9393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- by email: [email protected]
- or write to:
Supporter Care Team
Brooke
York House
Wetherby Road
Long Marston
York
YO26 7NH
How would Gift Aid affect my tax?
Signing up to Gift Aid doesn’t affect the tax you pay. We make the claim to HMRC on the tax you have already paid on your donations.
I am a higher rate tax payer
As a higher rate tax payer, when you donate the charity will claim against your donation at the basic rate of tax (currently 20%) However, the good news is you can claim the difference between the rate you pay and basic rate on your donation. It’s the same if you live in Scotland.
All you need to do is complete the charitable giving section on your self-assessment tax form
Example:
You donate £100 to charity - they claim Gift Aid to make your donation £125. You pay 40% tax so you can personally claim back £25.00 (£125 x 20%).
If you don’t have to send a tax return, contact HMRC and ask for a P810 form. You’ll need to submit it by 31 January after the end of the previous tax year.
What if I don't pay UK tax?
Unfortunately, the scheme is only open to UK Tax payers, so you're not eligible for Gift Aid. It's still worth letting us know so that we don’t ask you for this information again. If you're happy for us to make a note of this on your supporter record, please contact us:
- by phone: 020 7470 9393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- by email: [email protected]
- or write to:
Supporter Care Team
Brooke
York House
Wetherby Road
Long Marston
York
YO26 7NH
I don’t pay tax but my husband/wife does. Can I Gift Aid through them?
If you're able to donate using a joint bank account and your spouse is willing to sign a Gift Aid Declaration, your donations would be eligible for Gift Aid. Please contact us:
- by phone: 020 7470 9393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- by email: [email protected]
- or write to:
Supporter Care Team
Brooke
York House
Wetherby Road
Long Marston
York
YO26 7NH
Who will be able to access my Gift Aid information?
Only HMRC and Brooke. We do not share your information with anyone else, not even other family members, without your permission.
Can Gift Aid be applied to event sponsorship?
Sponsorship Gift Aid varies from event to event and the person you are sponsoring is responsible for establishing if donations made by people who are directly connected to the participant will qualify for Gift Aid. Each sponsor must provide their full name, home address and postcode to enable Brooke to reclaim the tax. We cannot accept joint sponsored donations. So, if you usually donate as a couple and are both tax payers, please make sure you enter your own name and address details on separate lines.To obtain an official Brooke event sponsorship form, please contact a member of our Community Fundraising Team:
- by email: [email protected]
- by phone: 020 7470 9393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
Why do you ask for donations by direct debit?
We ask supporters to give by regular direct debit because it helps us to plan our work. It's also a more efficient and cost-effective way for us to receive donations - and we know some supporters like to give this way because it's convenient and they are covered by the direct debit guarantee.
However, we want you to feel in control of your giving so we make it clear that you can stop, pause or reduce your gift at any time. Just let us know.
We understand that our supporters donate to many charities and some may prefer to give as and when they can, so one-off gifts are very important to our work too.
How much of my donation will go directly to the animals?
Our work directly helps 1.5 million animals a year. Millions more working horses, donkey and mules feel the benefit of Brooke too. We train thousands of animal owners and animal health workers around the world. On a bigger scale, we've fought for new policies to protect millions more working animals.
You can read more about how funds are spent and see our costs and expenditure in our latest annual report.
Does Brooke accept donations of veterinary drugs/tack/equipment?
Brooke is not able to accept donations of veterinary drugs or equine-related equipment such as tack or grooming kits. This is because it can be difficult and expensive to transport these to the countries in which we work and to get them through customs. And, as we take a sustainable approach to our work, we do not distrubute any items free of charge, so we wouldn't be able to make use of donated items - much as we appreciate the good intentions of donors.
We also believe it's important to support local economies by purchasing items from within the countries where we work. Where veterinary drugs which cannot be obtained locally, we export them through a professional supplier.
If you would like Brooke to benefit from any items you no longer need, why not sell them and donate the raised funds to us?
How can I donate/support Brooke in other ways?
There are many ways you can donate. The most cost-effective way for us to receive a donation is via a direct debit, which you can set up at an amount and frequency of your choice.
Alternatively, you can make donations (made payable to 'the Brooke') by cheque, credit card, postal order, CAF voucher/card. Our correspondence address is Brooke, York House, Wetherby Road, Long Marston, York, YO26 7NH.
However, financial contributions are not the only way you can help our work; you could consider holding an event, taking part in a sponsored ride/walk etc, holding a collection or distributing leaflets to friends and family.
How can I find out about leaving a legacy to Brooke?
See our Legacy pages, download our legacy brochure (PDF 9.6Mb) or contact the Legacy Team on 020 7470 9343 or email [email protected].
Can I donate in other currencies?
Yes you can. We accept donations in Euros, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars and US dollars.
Supporters donating from the US who require a tax receipt should donate via the Brooke USA website.
What is Brooke’s response to the ongoing media coverage of charity fundraising?
We are aware of the recent media coverage surrounding charity fundraising.
Please be assured that we do not phone anyone who is not an existing supporter, nor do we pass on any of our supporters' details to other charitable organisations.
Occasionally we employ a call centre to contact supporters on our behalf but they can only use your details to contact you regarding your support of Brooke; they do not use them for any other purpose.
Brooke is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and is committed to a range of good practice measures.
We fully support any measures that will be taken to further improve fundraising practices across the charity sector. We will always respect all of our supporters' individual preferences regarding how they want to be contacted and how often, once this is made known to us.
Do you take animals into a sanctuary?
No. The animals we help are owned by some of the poorest people in the world: men, women and children who rely on a working horse, donkey or mule for their livelihoods and, in many cases, their very survival. It would not help these people to take their animal away.
Working animals can have a happy and healthy life as long as they are well cared for and treated with respect and this is what we work to achieve by providing veterinary treatment and training for animal owners. We focus on preventing problems from happening, ensuring a lasting effect for the welfare of working animals rather than just a short-term fix. The cost of keeping horses and donkeys in sanctuaries is very high and we believe this money is better spent helping more animals in their own communities.
Do you put animals down?
Yes, when we know this is the only option left and is the most considerate thing to do for the animal.
We help hundreds of animals suffering from wounds, infections and illnesses every day, and unfortunately in some cases their condition is beyond the stage where they can be successfully treated so we work with the owner to help them decide the best course of action.
An animal is only put down when we are sure that further suffering would devastate its quality of life. We also require the owner's consent before we can euthanise an animal. All our efforts go into improving animal care and treatment to prevent animals reaching this state in the first place.