Music Patron is becoming an independent charitable organisation, separate from Sound and Music. During this transition, there will be a period when donations to Music Patron are not eligible for Gift Aid while we complete our charity registration with the Charity Commission and HMRC.

We are working to minimise this gap and will restore Gift Aid eligibility as soon as possible.

Gift Aid is a UK tax incentive that allows charities to reclaim basic rate tax on donations made by UK taxpayers. For every £1 you donate, Music Patron can claim an additional 25p from HMRC at no cost to you.

To use Gift Aid, you must:

• Be a UK taxpayer
• Have paid at least as much Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax as the amount being claimed by all charities you support
• Complete a Gift Aid declaration

Gift Aid can only be claimed by organisations registered with HMRC as charities. Music Patron must first receive charitable status from the Charity Commission, then register with HMRC before we can claim Gift Aid on donations.

Until both registrations are complete, donations to Music Patron cannot be claimed under Gift Aid.

The Charity Commission is experiencing high demand for registration services and has indicated our application will require additional review time, likely extending some weeks or even months beyond our 31 March 2026 separation from Sound and Music.

We cannot provide a definitive timeframe for when Gift Aid will become available again, as this depends on both Charity Commission approval and subsequent HMRC registration.

We will contact all patrons as soon as Gift Aid eligibility is restored.

Before 31 March 2026: Donations processed through Sound and Music remain eligible for Gift Aid under Sound and Music's charity registration.

From 1 April 2026 onwards: Donations processed through Music Patron are NOT eligible for Gift Aid until our charitable status and HMRC registration are complete.

We will update patrons as soon as Gift Aid eligibility is restored.

For donations made before 31 March 2026: These donations were made to Sound and Music, (registered charity number 1124609), and are eligible for Gift Aid as normal. If you're a higher-rate taxpayer claiming additional relief, declare these as donations to Sound and Music.

For donations made on or after 1 April 2026: These donations are NOT currently eligible for Gift Aid. Do not include them in any Gift Aid claims on your tax return until we confirm eligibility has been restored.

Yes, you will need to complete a new Gift Aid declaration for Music Patron once our charitable status and HMRC registration are complete.

We will email you with a link to the declaration form as soon as Music Patron is ready to accept Gift Aid declarations. Your new declaration will apply to all future donations from that point forward.

We will contact all patrons (including new patrons) when Music Patron is ready to accept Gift Aid declarations. At that time, you'll be able to complete a declaration that applies to all future donations.

If no action is taken, your regular donations will continue, and 100% of your donation will go directly to your composer’s fund as usual. Any donations from 1 April 2026 will not however be eligible for Gift Aid until a new declaration is made.

You can manage your patronage at any time via your Patron Dashboard

There is no impact to composers; 100% of all donations to composers are paid to the composer’s fund.

The amounts we reclaim via Gift Aid support the operational costs of running Music Patron, alongside other funding. We have budgeted for this temporary loss of Gift Aid income and aim to make up the shortfall from other funding sources. If you are able to, we would very much appreciate any additional support you can provide:

Support Music Patron

Yes. As our registration processes complete, we will email all patrons with:

• Confirmation of when Gift Aid eligibility is restored
• Instructions for completing a new Gift Aid declaration
• The exact date range of the Gift Aid gap for your tax records

For general information about Gift Aid, visit the UK Government Gift Aid page: https://www.gov.uk/donating-to-charity/gift-aid

For questions specific to Music Patron's transition, please contact: [email protected]

Please note: This FAQ provides general information about Gift Aid during Music Patron's transition. For advice specific to your tax situation, we recommend consulting a qualified tax advisor.

If you have questions about Gift Aid or your donations during this transition period, please contact us at [email protected] and we'll be happy to help.