Lodgeroom UK

I'm a Craft Treasurer and a Brother has been in touch telling me that a Lions friend of his reckons that the subscriptions Lions pay annually are Gift Aided. Our Lodge does not claim Gift Aid on any tax paying Brothers subscription and I'm wondering if other Lodges do take advantage of this?

My Craft Lodge has separate charitable status with the Charity Commission (historically back in 1980 a brother bequeathed a sum of money and it was put in a separate account) the original trust deed is lost and requests to the Charity Commission for a copy draw blanks.

I wasn't sure where to best post this - moderators please feel to move if there is somewhere more appropriate.

You'd need to check, but I doubt subscriptions are covered - that's what the Grand Charity thing was all about a year or so ago. The charitable status probably only applies to your charity deposits into that particular account.

This is a warning to all Lodges who have Charitable status. As I understand things.

I could be wrong I am not a financial adverser or anything like it. Just a clever dick.

But make sure you make all your returns promptly.

If you loose Charitable status you will have a impossible task getting it back again.

Wurzell wrote:I'm a Craft Treasurer and a Brother has been in touch telling me that a Lions friend of his reckons that the subscriptions Lions pay annually are Gift Aided. Our Lodge does not claim Gift Aid on any tax paying Brothers subscription and I'm wondering if other Lodges do take advantage of this?

My Craft Lodge has separate charitable status with the Charity Commission (historically back in 1980 a brother bequeathed a sum of money and it was put in a separate account) the original trust deed is lost and requests to the Charity Commission for a copy draw blanks.

I wasn't sure where to best post this - moderators please feel to move if there is somewhere more appropriate.

It doesn't scan. Gift Aid can be claimed back (by the recipient organisation) on donations made to a Registered Charity or to a Community Amateur Sport Club by a UK Taxpayer.

Membership subscriptions, no matter what the organisation is, are not charity donations.

Mike Martin wrote:Membership subscriptions, no matter what the organisation is, are not charity donations.

Unless they are on HMRC's list as recognised Professional Bodies - eg the Engineering Institutions (etc)

But not Freemasonry Lodges, no!

Agree with Andrew
MY oldest son / brother used to work with HMRC and is now with our own Revenue Scotland
so I asked him and enjoyed the laugh
if only but c'est la vie

Eckywan

If the subs are split between "subs" and "contribution to benevolent fund", then the BF contributions could be gift aid-able (provided the BF is a charity).

General subs - can't see it.

Harmony wrote:If the subs are split between "subs" and "contribution to benevolent fund", then the BF contributions could be gift aid-able (provided the BF is a charity).

Er - no. That's precisely what the Grand Charity arguments and ruling was all about.

I meant Lodge BF - and ours is registered with OSCR as a charity.

Richard

This is another difference between GLoS and UGLE. In Scotland we do not have an annual mandatory donation to Grand Lodge Benevolent Funds (the equivalent of Grand Charity). If UGLE didn't have it as a mandatory payment lumped in with annual dues, maybe they would get it past HMRC, but on the other hand might not get the same level of income through voluntary donations.

Richard George wrote:Er - no. That's precisely what the Grand Charity arguments and ruling was all about.

Exemption from VAT is not the same as Gift Aid.

I do not have the annual forms to hand. But I seem to remember they did include a Chritable donation in the total fees the Lodge Pays for all its members.

Someone correct me if the modern returns do not include this.

There was an annul fee per member and a Charitable donation per member. Unless my old brain is failing more than usual.

Here we go, not as dumb as I thought I was have a look at

http://www.glosmasons.org.uk/sites/www. ... taries.pdf

Go down to page 23
Appendix Three Grand Lodge Annual return AR1

Grand Charity donation is shown at the bottom , da daaa.

Mike Martin wrote:

Richard George wrote:Er - no. That's precisely what the Grand Charity arguments and ruling was all about.

Exemption from VAT is not the same as Gift Aid.

Ah! good point - getting my facts mixed up.

Dear responding Brethren.

Thanks for your very useful replies.

Seems it's very much a no go then.

Dear Richard - any chance you could post up a copy of the Grand Lodge ruling please?

Richard George wrote:

Mike Martin wrote:

Richard George wrote:Er - no. That's precisely what the Grand Charity arguments and ruling was all about.

Exemption from VAT is not the same as Gift Aid.

Ah! good point - getting my facts mixed up.

https://www.grandcharity.org/news.php/1 ... a_coverage
http://www.ukvatadvice.com/wp-content/u ... NGLAND.pdf
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... judge.html

The first link is the clarification issued by The Grand Charity, the second is the actual ruling, and the last a report in the Telegraph. A simple Google search on 'Grand Charity vat" pulls these and more up.