Gifts of Stocks and Shares

Thank you for considering giving a gift of stocks or shares to the University of Sheffield. Your gift will help the University with a wide range of projects, enabling it to give a first class education to current and future students.

Giving stocks and shares is one of the most tax-efficient ways in which you can make a donation, with these additional benefits:

Income Tax Relief

Donors who give stocks or shares to the University receive a deduction on their taxable income worth 100% of the market value of the stocks/shares donated.

Capital Gains Tax Relief

Any gift of stocks or shares to the University is entirely exempt from Capital Gains Tax (CGT).

Corporation Tax Relief

If the gift is made by a company then the company can claim Corporation Tax relief up to the value of the shares.

For more detailed information, please refer to Inland Revenue leaflet - 'Giving Shares and Securities to Charity'.

Income Tax Example:

Mr Brown earns £50,000 per year. He owns stocks worth £20,000 which he decides to donate to the University of Sheffield. Without making this gift, his Income Tax liability would be £12,878.58, but by making a the gift of shares his liability is reduced to £5,349.28

Income Tax saved by making a gift of shares = £7,529.30.

Mr Brown will also be exempt from Capital Gains Tax on this gift.

NB: The example presented here may be altered by individual financial circumstances and changes in tax bands. We strongly recommend that you consult your financial advisor or bank when considering gifts of stocks or shares.

How to make your gift next steps:

1. Please write to us with the details of your gift (this will also provide you with evidence for the Inland Revenue, when claiming your tax relief, if you decide to sell the shares on the University's behalf see point 2b below)

2. You will need to instruct your broker to either:

a) transfer ownership of your stocks/shares to the University of Sheffield, and send the share certificates to the address below, or
b) sell the shares on our behalf and send the proceeds to the University of Sheffield, also at the address below.

NB: If you choose to sell the shares for us, in order to claim your tax relief you will need to provide evidence to the Inland Revenue that you have given your shares to the University and that we have asked you to sell them (please see page 6 of the Inland Revenue leaflet)

If you would like to discuss your gift in more detail please contact:

Ruth Stanley
Development Manager

Development and Alumni Relations Office
The University of Sheffield
277 Glossop Road
Sheffield
S10 2HB

telephone: 0114 222 1075
fax: 0114 222 1044

email : r.e.stanley@sheffield.ac.uk

The University of Sheffield is an exempt charity reference X 1089.