Payroll giving

Payroll giving is one of the best ways to donate to us. It gives us a reliable source of income to help us realise our vision of full life for everyone affected by epilepsy.

If you earn a salary or if your occupational pension is paid through PAYE then you could make regular contributions to Epilepsy Society through a payroll giving scheme. If you own or manage a business, give your employees the opportunity to support Epilepsy Society by setting up a scheme. Payroll giving (also known as Give As You Earn or GAYE) is a highly efficient way to support us.

Thank you to the many employers in the UK who run a payroll giving scheme for us. Having this regular income enables us to plan and budget our projects into the future.

About the scheme

Payroll giving is an opportunity to make tax free donations to Epilepsy Society on a regular basis. If you sign up to a payroll giving scheme, a donation will be deducted from your salary (or pension) before tax. This means it costs you less to help us.

You decide how much you would like to give each pay day, there is no upper or lower limit . Here are some examples of what donations will cost you in take-home pay:

• a £5 donation will only cost you £4 (at 20 per cent tax), £3 (at 40 per cent tax) or £2.50 (at 50% tax)
• a £20 donation will only cost you £16 (at 20 per cent tax), £12 (at 40 per cent tax) or £10 (at 50% tax).

The ‘taxman’ makes up the remainder of the donation at no cost to you. Some employers also offer ‘matched giving’ schemes where they match or double a donation at no extra cost to the you. If you are a higher rate taxpayer, donating in this way is the only way to pass on your 40% or 45% tax to charities.

Start giving through your payroll

You can donate to Epilepsy Society by authorising your employer or pension provider to make payments from your salary or pension payments.

As an employee, the first thing to do is to contact your payroll department and ask whether your company offers a payroll giving scheme. (If your employer is set up, you will sign up with a payroll giving agency  who will transmit the donations on your behalf.) You’ll fill out one simple application form, stating how much you would like to give and full details of Epilepsy Society . You decide how much you would like to give each pay day. If you change your mind, it is easy to reduce or increase the amount and frequency.

If your employer does not currently offer a scheme, you can ask them to set one up. There’s lots of useful information on the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) website. 

Epilepsy Society Donation Form

Simply by completing this form, you can support Epilepsy Society from your pay.

Because the donation is taken from your gross pay, every pound you give will only cost you 80p, or only 60p if you are a higher rate tax payer. 

Information for employers

The scheme is quick and easy to set-up and administer. It also:

• helps motivate employees by supporting a good cause
• generates a positive view of the organisation amongst employees
• gives your company a positive reputation for corporate social responsibility.

The launch of the Payroll Giving Quality Mark in January 2006, recognises and rewards organisations for making Payroll Giving available to their staff. The Quality Mark comprises a certificate and logo, as well as Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. This is organised by Payroll Giving Centre.

To find out more about payroll giving to Epilepsy Society please contact the fundraising team online or call us on 01494 601 414.