Family Charities and Foundations

Family charities or foundations can be an ideal solution for families with philanthropic objectives. They provide the framework for those who wish to substantially give to charity or wish to make substantial gifts to charity by their Will.

Charitable giving has a variety of tax benefits to include the following:

• Income Tax reliefs under the Gift Aid scheme.
• Gifts of property or assets in your lifetime being free from Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and Income Tax relief by deducting the value of your gift from your total taxable income.
• Legacies to charity in your Will are free from Inheritance Tax.
• Gifting over 10% of your estate to charity in your Will results in a lower rate of 36% Inheritance Tax applying to the rest of your estate.

There are of course many reasons to give to charity beyond the tax benefits. By setting up a family charitable trust or foundation you are able to act as a trustee of the charity and play a bigger role in how the charitable funds are spent.

The charity or foundation can be set up with a specific purpose in mind or to achieve a variety of charitable objectives throughout the generations of your family. If a family legacy is your ambition, then a trust or foundation will enable you to involve your children who may not yet have the funds to give substantially.

If you are interested in setting up a charity or need any advice on your existing charity, please contact us and ask to speak to a member of the Private Client team.