Going quietly...
How many pages of tax law are filled with ministers’ brilliant ideas that turn out to be a waste of ink? If you have overpaid your tax, submitting your return entitles you to a refund; a few years ago, we were given the option of donating some or all of that to charity. This mixed two things that didn’t really go together, and it seems that not many people used it. The facility is being withdrawn from 6 April 2012, which will shorten by one question the business of filling in a tax return.
You can, of course, still donate money, shares or land to charity and enjoy tax reliefs. If you are feeling charitable, we can explain the ways in which you can give and save.