Giving to charity is often driven by values rather than tax planning, but the tax treatment still matters. Used properly, the available reliefs can make a donation go further, lower your tax bill, or both. HMRC’s latest charity tax relief statistics show that tax reliefs for charities and donors were worth about £6.7 billion in the year to April 2025, including £1.7 billion of Gift Aid paid to charities.
For individuals, the main UK reliefs sit in four areas: Gift Aid, Payroll Giving, gifts of shares or property, and gifts left in a will. Each works differently. In some cases, the charity gets the tax benefit. In others, you claim it yourself. The right route depends on what you are giving, how often you give, and your tax position in the 2026/27 tax year.