Did you know you can donate shares and investments to Epilepsy Society? By giving shares you can help us support the nearly half a million people with epilepsy in the UK and possibly earn yourself a double tax benefit at the same time.
Whether you have a few windfall shares sitting gathering dust or a more sizeable investment portfolio, it is simple to give shares to Epilepsy Society as long as they are listed or dealt with on a recognised stock exchange in the UK or elsewhere.
Tax benefits
If you are a taxpayer and you donate shares to charity, you will benefit from income tax relief and exemption from Capital Gains Tax. You are also entitled to claim tax relief for any related costs, such as brokers’ fees. Tax relief applies whether you are giving the shares on behalf of yourself or a company.
These examples give you an idea of the amount of tax relief you could benefit from. However, your personal circumstances will affect the tax benefits you are entitled to. You may find it helpful to take professional advice to ensure that your donation to Epilepsy Society is structured in the most efficient way.
Example 1 – basic tax payers (20%)
If you donate shares worth £100 to Epilepsy Society, you will be able to claim income tax relief of £20. You will not have to pay any capital gains tax on the disposal of these shares. The benefit to Epilepsy Society is £100 while the cost to you is £80.
Example 2 – higher rate tax payers (40%)
If you donate shares worth £1,000 to Epilepsy Society, you will be able to claim income tax relief of £400. You will not have to pay any capital gains tax on these shares. The benefit to Epilepsy Society is £1,000 while the cost to you is £600.
How to donate shares
You can donate shares directly to charity or, having confirmed the arrangement in advance, sell the shares on the charity’s behalf and simply donate the proceeds. To earn the tax benefits, you will need to transfer the shares directly. Please follow these four steps to do this:
- Get a stock transfer form from the company registrar who acts for the company in which you have shares. The name of the company registrar is printed at the bottom of the share certificate.
- On the stock transfer form, in the box entitled ‘Full name and postal address of the person to whom the security is transferred’ write: Epilepsy Society, Chesham Lane, Chalfont St Peter, Bucks, SL9 0RJ
- Complete, sign and date the form as appropriate. It is a good idea to keep a copy of the form as a record of your gift.
- Please send the completed original of the stock transfer form, together with the share certificate to: Fundraising Department, Epilepsy Society, Chesham Lane, Chalfont St Peter, Bucks, SL9 0RJ.
You might want to discuss the options with your financial adviser or accountant.
Get in touch
Thank you. Your shares will make a real difference to our work with epilepsy. If you are considering giving us shares, please contact our fundraising team on 01494 601 414 or email fundraising@epilepsysociety.org.uk.
For more information see HMRC’s page on giving shares, land or buildings to charity and the Sharegift website.
