Archives >

Going to the Zoo

The Gift Aid scheme allows charities to claim back tax paid by people who make donations. You have probably filled the forms in - you give your name and address and make a declaration, and the charity can recover about 28% from the Revenue in addition to what you pay. If you are keen, you keep a note of the amount you gave and put it on your tax return, and you can save even more as higher rate tax.

Over the last couple of years, visitors to some famous tourist attractions - for example, London Zoo - may have been surprised to find a Gift Aid declaration on their ticket. The price of admission doesn't seem like a "donation" - but there has been a rule which allows Gift Aid on annual membership of organisations such as the National Trust, so payments for admission have been treated as gifts.

Sadly, the Government has declared that this was never intended to cover day memberships, and the rules will be changed to make sure that you can't get tax relief on a visit to the zoo.