Help with Gift Aid schedule uploads

Plain English answers to the problems treasurers most often hit with HMRC's Gift Aid schedule. Useful whether or not you use Donor Schedule. Each page links to the HMRC guidance it is based on.

Getting started

• Gift Aid schedule spreadsheet template: where to get it and what goes in each column
  Where to download HMRC's own Gift Aid schedule template, which version to pick, and what each column and box expects.
• How to fill in HMRC's Gift Aid schedule, step by step
  A plain English walk through, from a blank HMRC template to a schedule ready to attach to your Charities Online claim.
• Exporting your donations from Stripe, PayPal, SumUp and your bank
  How to get a CSV file out of the places donations usually arrive, and what columns to look for.
• Gift Aid claim deadline: the 4 year rule
  How long you have to claim Gift Aid on a donation, according to HMRC, and the shorter deadline for the Small Donations Scheme.

Upload errors

• Gift Aid schedule errors: a checklist before you upload
  The common reasons a Gift Aid schedule will not upload or loses donations, what causes each one, and where to find the fix.
• Error message beginning "ASM"
  What HMRC says causes ASM errors when you upload a Gift Aid schedule, and how to fix them.
• Other system errors: blank spaces and hidden characters
  HMRC's first suggestion for most other upload errors is to check for stray spaces before or after donor details.
• Charities Online cannot read the schedule: check the worksheet name
  The worksheet inside HMRC's template has a special name. If it changes, the upload can fail.
• Save as .ods, not .xlsx or .csv, and which template to use
  Charities Online expects HMRC's template saved in OpenDocument format. Here is how to get that right in Excel and LibreOffice.

Filling in the rows

• Titles, names and hyphens
  The small rules about titles and names that cause a surprising number of rejected rows.
• Postcode errors, overseas donors and BFPO addresses
  How HMRC wants postcodes written, and what to do for donors outside the UK.
• Date errors, DD/MM/YY and the earliest donation date
  How to enter donation dates so Charities Online accepts them, including the earliest date box at the top of the schedule.
• More than 1,000 donations in one claim
  Each schedule holds up to 1,000 lines. If you go over, the extra lines are not included in your claim.
• Regular donations and standing orders: one line per donor
  How HMRC lets you put a donor's regular gifts on one line of the Gift Aid schedule, and why accounting periods matter.
• Aggregated donations and sponsored events
  How to group small donations, how to enter sponsored events, and the £20, £500 and £1,000 limits.
• Telling HMRC about an earlier over-claim (Box 2)
  How to use Box 2 on the Gift Aid schedule when you were overpaid on a previous claim, and the common mistake to avoid.

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Still stuck? Email hello@donorschedule.co.uk, but please do not send donor details. For questions about your charity's Gift Aid position, contact the HMRC Charities helpline.