Charitable Status

The Aberystwyth University is a charity. It is an Exempt Charity* (reference X 6599).  The benefits of our charitable status are:

  • The University can reclaim tax from the Inland Revenue under the Gift Aid scheme, increasing the value of donations from UK tax payers by nearly a third.
  • Higher rate tax payers can also qualify for personal tax deductions on donations made to the University.
  • The University pays no income tax and inheritance tax on gifts of money or property it receives. A gift made to the University in a Will reduces the tax payable on the estate.
  • A gift of stocks and shares made to the University will reduce the donor's income tax liability, and makes the gift exempt from capital gains tax.
  • Certain charities are 'exempt' from Charity Commission supervision because they are considered to be adequately supervised by, or accountable to, another authority. Although not subject to Charity Commission jurisdiction, an exempt charity is subject to the legal rules generally applicable to charities.

Schedule 2 to the Charities Act 1993

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1993/ukpga_19930010_en_1

The following institutions, so far as they are charities, are exempt charities within the meaning of this Act, that is to say -

(a) any institution which, if the Charities Act 1960 had not been passed, would be exempted from the powers and jurisdiction, under the Charitable Trusts Acts 1853 to 1939, of the Commission or Minister of Education (apart from any power of the Commission or Minister to apply those Acts in whole or in part to charities otherwise exempt) by the terms of any enactment not contained in those Acts other than section 9 of the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855;1

(b) the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, London, Durham and Newcastle, the colleges and halls in the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and Newcastle, Queen Mary and Westfield College in the University of London and the colleges of Winchester and Eton;

(c) any university, university college, or institution connected with a university or university college, which Her Majesty declares by Order in Council to be an exempt charity for the purposes of this Act;2

(da) the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority;3

(f) the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales;5

(i) a successor company to a higher education corporation (within the meaning of section 129(5) of the Education Reform Act 1988) at a time when an institution conducted by the company is for the time being designated under that section;

(k) the Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum;

(l) the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum;

(m) the Board of Trustees of the Armouries;

(n) the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew;

(o) the Board of Trustees of the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside;

(p) the trustees of the British Museum and the trustees of the Natural History Museum;

(q) the Board of Trustees of the National Gallery;

(r) the Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery;

(s) the Board of Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery;

(t) the Board of Trustees of the Wallace Collection;

(u) the Trustees of the Imperial War Museum;

(v) the Trustees of the National Maritime Museum;

(w) any institution which is administered by or on behalf of an institution included above and is established for the general purposes of, or for any special purpose of or in connection with, the last-mentioned institution;5

(x) the Church Commission and any institution which is administered by them;

(y) any registered society within the meaning of the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 and any registered society or branch within the meaning of the Friendly Societies Act 1974;

(z) the Board of Governors of the Museum of London;

(za) the British Library Board;

(zb) the Community Fund Board.6

1In practice paragraph (a) includes:

  • the universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield and Southampton;
  • the Imperial War Museum;
  • the National Maritime Museum;
  • the Representative Body of the Welsh Church and any property vested in or administered by it; and
  • property within the Church Funds Investment Measure 1958.

2 The remaining universities not covered by (a) and:

  • institutions connected with the Universities of London, Manchester and Wales; and
  • some medical and postgraduate medical schools, colleges and institutions.

3Inserted by Schedule 19, paragraph 175 of the Education Act 1993, as amended by The Education Act 1997.

4Inserted by Schedule 15, paragraph 5 of the Education Act 1993, as amended by Schedule 37, paragraph 120 of The Education Act 1996.

5If the trustees are in any doubt as to whether their charity falls within paragraph (w), they should seek the advice of the Commission.

6 Inserted by the National Lottery etc Act 1993.