Winchester is one of the most generous places in the UK for charity donations, according to annual figures published by HM Revenue & Customs.
HMRC measures all donations submitted on self-assessment tax returns, ranking the results by each parliamentary constituency and showing the average amount donated as well as the proportion of annual income that represents.
With individual donations in Winchester averaging £1,650, the city's self-assessment taxpayers are donating 2.6% of their total income, which is on par with the national average. However the statistics show almost a quarter (24%) of tax returns from Winchester include donations, double the national average and the highest proportion among all 650 constituencies in the UK.
The true figure could be much higher according to Hampshire-based charity advisor - Back of the Sofa - because so many people fail to include donations on their tax return. It points to a report into Gift Aid, published by HMRC in March, showing half of the UK's 4.5 million Higher Rate Taxpayers (earning £46,350 or more) are unaware that putting donations on their tax return reduces their tax bill. In the case of Winchester, this relief is worth an average of £412 a year to Higher Rate Taxpayers.
Steve Brine said: "Winchester is indeed a generous source of income for charities both locally and nationally. With this comes the opportunity to maximise the impact of those donations by making use of all the Gift Aid available, including claiming the Higher Rate relief. If this applies to you then simply letting the taxman know about your donations will unlock even more money to support deserving causes."
More information ...
Any eligible taxpayers who have not received Gift Aid Higher Rate relief can claim 4 years' worth in one go. For further information, click here