Just to let you know, our case was mentioned in a "Charity News Alerts" new story dealing with HMRC delays.
http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2838&pg=15&cat=58 Regards, Andrew On May 22, 6:52 pm, Andrew Turvey <[email protected]> wrote: > Not very exciting I'm afraid! I've typed in the response I received below. > The abridged version: > > * They admit that the HMRC Charities Unit are well behind their response > targets > * The cause is the changes to the income tax rates plus an increase in > applications > * They have trained more staff and changed their computer system to cope with > the backlog and improved their advice to applicants > > regards, > > Andrew Turvey > Secretary, > Wikimedia UK > Wikimedia UK is the operating name of Wiki UK Limited. > Wiki UK Ltd is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and > Wales, Registered No. 6741827. > The Registered Office is at 23 Cartwright Way, Nottingham, NG9 1RL, United > Kingdom. > > ===== > > 18 May > > Dear Mr Turvey, > > Please find enclosed a response received from the Minister at the Treasury > regarding the questions you raised about Gift Aid. > > I hope the reply is of assistance but if you have further questions or > concerns please do not hesitate to contact Nick's office again. > > Yours sincerely, > > Parliamentary Assistant to Nick Palmer MP > > ==== > > From: Stephen Timms, Financial Secretary to the Treasury. > > 11 May > > Dear Nick, > > Thank you for your letter of 25 March to Alistair Darling enclosing > correspondence from your constituent, Andrew Turvey, Secretary of Wiki UK > Limited of 23 Cartwright Way, Beeston, Nottingham, about Gift Aid. I have > been asked to reply > > I am sorry that Mr Turvey experienced delays in receiving a response from HM > Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to his enquiries. > > As you may know, organisations not already registered with the Charity > Commission must apply to HMRC for recognition as a charity for tax purposes. > In 2008-09, HMRC aimed to respond to 85% of these applications within 15 > (working) days, 95% within 40 days and the balance within 60. The number of > new applications increased by 19% in 2008-09, and this increased workload was > a factor in HMRC not meeting its 15 day target. However, HMRC did consider > 98% of applications within 40 days and 100% within 60 working days. A > response to the application from Wikimedia Ltd (sic), asking for further > information to support the application, was issued after 51 days. > > HMRC is working on improvements to make the application process easier, to > help organisations to get it right first time and so reduce the number of > applications needing enquiries. This will, in turn, reduce the waiting time > for new applicants. > > Mr. Turvey says that it is taking HMRC six weeks to process Gift Aid > repayment claims. HMRC aims to repay 97% of complete and correct claims > within 15 days and first claims within 25 days. For 2008-09 a little over 50% > of claims were repaid within 15 days. This delay has been caused by a greater > than usual number of incorrect claims following the change to the basic rate > of tax and the introduction of the Transitional Relief. HMRC hopes to resume > its normal target now that additional staff have been trained and changes to > the repayments computer application have been made. > > I understand that HMRC has recently written to Mr Turvey about his > application. > > Please pass on my thanks to Mr Turvey for taking the trouble to raise his > concerns about this with us. > > Yours ever, > > Steven > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Michael Bimmler" <[email protected]> > To: "Andrew Turvey" <[email protected]>, [email protected] > Sent: Friday, 22 May, 2009 17:23:30 GMT +00:00 GMT Britain, Ireland, Portugal > Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Minutes of the last meeting > > On Fri, May 22, 2009 at 1:21 AM, Andrew Turvey <[email protected]> wrote: > > > AT reported two items of correspondence: > > > # A letter from our MP, with a response from the minister responsible > > regarding the HMRC delays. > > Any chance that this letter or at least a summary will be made public, > at least amongst members? > > Thanks, > M. > > -- > Michael Bimmler > [email protected] > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia UK mailing list > [email protected]http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > WMUK:http://uk.wikimedia.org > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia UK mailing list > [email protected]http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > WMUK:http://uk.wikimedia.org _______________________________________________ Wikimedia UK mailing list [email protected] http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
