Charities can boost their donations by an extra 25 per cent for fundraisers like Macmillan Cancer Support’s ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ if they ask for donations rather than charging for food and drink.

Gift Aid can be claimed on charitable donations from taxpayers, but not when the money is given in exchange for goods. It is feared that many charity bake sales could be losing out because they directly charge for the item they are selling.

On the day of Macmillan’s Coffee Morning, which last year raised over £27 million to help support people living with cancer, the Minister is clarifying that by asking for donations instead of charging for food and drink, they can make the contributions go further. Macmillan has said that if everyone claimed Gift Aid on their Coffee Morning donations this year an extra £2 million could be raised.

The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Robert Jenrick, said:

From the Great British Bake Off to Macmillan’s charity Coffee Mornings, baking is one of our favourite national pastimes and one that often benefits great charities. We want to support this bake-off fever.

Too many are missing out on an extra 25 per cent boost to donations, which is costing good causes dearly.

That’s why I’m clarifying the Gift Aid rules for anyone running a Coffee Morning. If you ask people to make a donation and offer them a coffee or cake, you could be making 25 per cent more on the funds you raise.

Gift Aid costs no extra to add on to your donation. It allows charities and community amateur sports clubs (CASC) to claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated. To add Gift Aid to a donation, you must have paid income or capital gains tax that year worth at least the value of the Gift Aid being added and give the charity permission to claim it. The Small Donations Scheme, introduced in 2013, does not require a declaration to be made for donations worth up to £20, making it simpler for charities to get extra support from government.

Each year we receive unusual excuses from directors who fail to file their company accounts on time.

Some of the most outrageous reasons given include:

• “goats ate my accounts”
• “I found my wife in the bath with my accountant”
• “pirates stole my accounts”
• “we delivered the accounts to the betting office next door to Companies House”
• “a volcano erupted and prevented me from filing”
• “slugs ate my accounts”
• “it was Valentine’s Day”
• “my company was more successful than I thought it would be, so I was too busy to file”

Bizarre filing excuses

The companies which gave these excuses received a late filing penalty and their appeals were unsuccessful. Penalties increase depending on how late the accounts are filed and the status of the company.

Senior Enforcement Manager, Nick Parker, said:

Companies and directors must be aware of their responsibility to file accounts with Companies House. Companies can sign up to receive e-mail reminders, which can be sent to up to four e-mail addresses.

There will always be unforeseen events that mean a company is unable to file accounts on time. In exceptional circumstances, companies can request an extension to the filing deadline, however these requests must be received before the filing deadline.

Most companies can file accounts electronically – it’s faster and easier. The Companies House WebFiling service has in-built checks to ensure that all the relevant information is provided before a customer can submit. It also provides filers with automatic e-mail confirmation that accounts have been received and once they have been accepted for filing.

To send us accounts electronically, you must register for our online filing services. When you register, we’ll send an authentication code in the post to your company’s registered office.

Read our guidance for general help and advice on filing company accounts.

You can email enquiries@companieshouse.gov.uk or call our contact centre on 0303 1234 500. We’re open 8.30am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday.