What is HMRC Charities Online and how does it work for churches?
HMRC Charities Online is the UK government's web portal where registered charities submit Gift Aid claims and manage tax relief on donations. For churches, this means reclaiming tax paid by your congregants on their gifts - but most UK churches do it manually, losing time and money.
HMRC Charities Online: the basics
HMRC Charities Online is an online service run by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs for registered UK charities. It lets you log in, view your charity's details, and submit Gift Aid claims on donations made by taxpayers. Every time a UK taxpayer gives to your church, you can reclaim 25p for every £1 they've donated (assuming they've made a Gift Aid declaration). Churches are supposed to collect declarations from donors, aggregate the data, and submit claims to HMRC via Charities Online. The process works, but it's manual, slow, and error-prone. Most churches either skip it entirely or submit claims late, which is why an estimated £560 million in Gift Aid goes unclaimed by UK churches every year.
Why most churches don't use it properly
Charities Online requires a church treasurer to log in separately, collate donation records, cross-reference Gift Aid declarations, and upload claims through a government portal. For churches processing donations manually or through disparate systems, this is tedious. Some churches don't have the staff capacity. Others don't know the system exists. The result is that thousands of congregations never submit a claim, or submit incomplete ones. Your church is entitled to that Gift Aid tax relief, but collecting and submitting the data manually is a bottleneck that deters many from doing it.
How Givr automates Gift Aid and HMRC submission
Givr is a UK church giving platform that captures Gift Aid declarations automatically as your congregation gives. When a donor scans your QR code and gives (in 15 seconds, no app needed), they answer one question: 'Are you a UK taxpayer?' If yes, Givr records their declaration. On the Gather plan (£25/month or £245/year), Givr then collates all your Gift Aid claims and submits them to HMRC Charities Online for you. You don't log in, you don't format spreadsheets, you don't wrestle with the government portal. Givr does it. Your church receives the Gift Aid payment directly into your bank account via Stripe, and Givr charges a 2% performance fee only on the amount you successfully claim. As of June 2026, churches using Givr recover Gift Aid that would otherwise be lost.
HMRC Charities Online vs Givr: what's the difference?
HMRC Charities Online is the official government system you're legally required to use to claim Gift Aid. Givr is not a replacement for it; Givr submits claims to it on your behalf. Think of Givr as the bridge: it collects declarations from your donors, validates them, bundles them, and automatically files them with HMRC Charities Online. You still own the relationship with HMRC. Your church's charity registration, bank details, and Gift Aid status all remain under your control. Givr simply removes the manual work of collating and submitting. You can even check your HMRC Charities Online account yourself if you want to verify the submission.
Which churches need HMRC Charities Online?
Every registered UK charity, including churches, is eligible to claim Gift Aid on eligible donations. If your church is registered with the Charity Commission, you have a Charity Registration Number (typically 6 digits). HMRC will have issued you access to Charities Online. If you've never logged in or don't know your login credentials, you can reset them via the HMRC website. If your church is not registered with the Charity Commission (some very small churches or non-incorporated associations may not be), you won't have Charities Online access, but you may still be entitled to Gift Aid if you meet HMRC's criteria. Givr works with registered charities, and we recommend you verify your charity registration status before signing up.
Getting started with Gift Aid and HMRC submission
If you're a church treasurer or finance lead, the first step is to confirm your church is registered with the Charity Commission and has a Charity Registration Number. Then, Givr handles the rest. Your congregation gives via QR code in seconds. Givr captures Gift Aid declarations, bundles claims, and submits them to HMRC Charities Online automatically each month. You receive Gift Aid payments directly to your bank. The Gather plan includes HMRC submission; the Free plan does not. You can test Givr free (1% platform fee) to see how your congregation engages, then upgrade to Gather when you're ready to unlock automated Gift Aid claims and recurring giving via GoCardless.
Start collecting Gift Aid declarations and let Givr submit to HMRC Charities Online for you.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use HMRC Charities Online if I use Givr?
You don't need to log into HMRC Charities Online yourself. Givr submits claims on your behalf. You can optionally check your HMRC account to verify submissions, but it's not required.
How often does Givr submit Gift Aid claims to HMRC?
Givr submits aggregated claims monthly. HMRC processes them, and you receive the Gift Aid payment into your bank account within 7 to 14 days of submission.
What is the Gift Aid performance fee?
Givr charges 2% of the Gift Aid amount you successfully claim, invoiced after HMRC pays you. So if you claim £1,000 in Gift Aid, Givr's fee is £20. This applies across all tiers (Free, Gather, Grow).
Can my church use Givr if we're not registered with the Charity Commission?
Givr works with registered UK charities. You'll need a Charity Registration Number to access HMRC Charities Online. If your church is not registered, you may still be eligible; contact the Charity Commission or HMRC directly for guidance.
How do congregants give via Givr without downloading an app?
Congregants scan a QR code in your church and give through their browser in 15 seconds. No app download, no account creation needed. Gift Aid declaration is captured in the same flow.
Which Givr plan includes HMRC Charities Online submission?
The Gather plan (£25/month or £245/year) includes automated Gift Aid declaration capture and HMRC submission. The Free plan does not include HMRC submission.