Life Events
Leaving a Gift to a Church in Your Will
A gift in your will is one of the most lasting ways to support your church — and one of the most tax-efficient things a will can do. This guide explains how it works.
Quick answer
Church Near Me explains how to leave a gift to a church in your will — gifts to UK churches are exempt from inheritance tax, and leaving 10% or more of your estate to charity cuts the tax rate on the rest from 40% to 36%. Name the church precisely and write a valid will.
Why Leave a Gift to Your Church?
Each year thousands of people in the UK leave a gift in their will to a church — funding mission and ministry, maintaining historic buildings, and supporting the community life that a parish gives to its neighbourhood. For many, it is a final act of thanksgiving and a way to help the church they love continue its work for generations to come.
Unlike a one-off donation, a legacy gift costs you nothing in your lifetime and can transform a church's ability to serve its community long into the future.
The Tax Benefits Are Significant
Gifts to UK-registered charities in a will are completely exempt from inheritance tax. If your estate is over the tax threshold (£325,000 per person in 2026), every pound you leave to a church is a pound the tax bill never sees — so a £10,000 gift can effectively cost your family £6,000 once the 40% tax saving is counted.
The 10% rule
Leave at least 10% of your net estate to charity and the inheritance tax rate on everything else drops from 40% to 36%. For larger estates the saving can be substantial — sometimes a bigger gift to the church leaves the family barely worse off, because the tax saving funds most of the difference.
How to Word the Gift
Charities share similar names, merge and occasionally close, so precision matters. Always use the church's full registered name and its registered charity number — both appear on the church's website and the Charity Commission register (OSCR in Scotland, CCNI in Northern Ireland).
- — A fixed cash gift. Simple and certain — but inflation erodes it, so review the figure every few years.
- — A percentage of the residue. Scales with your estate automatically and is often fairer between the church and family — 5% to a cause you love still leaves 95% with the people you love.
- — A specific item or property. You can also leave an item, shares or property to the church.
- — Name the receiving body. For Church of England churches, the proper receiving body is usually the Parochial Church Council (PCC). Your solicitor will confirm the correct wording, and can add a clause covering a successor body if the church merges or closes.
Writing Your Will
A charitable gift needs nothing more exotic than a properly signed and witnessed will. There are three main routes:
- — Online will-writing. Services such as SwiftWill let you make a legally valid will online in about 15 minutes, charitable gifts included, for a one-off fee with free updates for life.
- — A solicitor. Recommended if your affairs are complex, you own property abroad, or a large charitable gift might leave dependants short (a spouse, child or dependant can otherwise claim under the 1975 Inheritance Act).
- — The Church of England's free will scheme. The C of E partners with an online will writer to offer a limited number of free wills to church members, with a prompt to consider a gift to your church.
If you already have a will, you can add a gift to your church with a short legal amendment called a codicil rather than rewriting the whole will.
A legacy is often the largest gift a person ever makes, so it is worth checking the charity first. You can verify any UK charity's record free on CharityCompare — see how to choose a charity to support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can anyone leave a gift to a church in their will?
Yes. You do not need to be a churchgoer to leave a gift to a church. You can leave a gift to your local parish church, a cathedral, a diocese or any Christian charity — all you need is a valid will naming the church precisely.
Do I pay inheritance tax on a gift to a church?
No. Gifts to UK-registered charities in a will are completely exempt from inheritance tax, however large they are. And if you leave at least 10% of your net estate to charity, the inheritance tax rate on everything else drops from 40% to 36%.
What is the best way to word a gift to a church?
Use the church's full registered name and, crucially, its registered charity number — both appear on the Charity Commission register. Most Church of England legacies are received by the Parochial Church Council (PCC). Well-drafted wills also cover the gift passing to a successor body if the church merges.
Should I leave a fixed amount or a percentage?
A fixed cash gift is simple and certain, but inflation erodes it over time. A percentage of your residuary estate scales automatically with what you leave behind, which many people find fairer between the church and their family.
Can my family challenge a large gift to the church?
You are free to leave your estate to charity — but a spouse, child or dependant left without reasonable provision can claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. If a large gift would leave dependants short, take advice from a solicitor first.
How do I write a will that leaves a gift to my church?
You can write a will online with a service such as SwiftWill, through a solicitor, or — for Church of England members — through the Church of England's free will-writing scheme. Make sure the church's full name and charity number are recorded correctly.
Make Your Will Today
Writing a will is the only way to make sure your wishes — including any gift to your church — are carried out. SwiftWill is a UK online will-writing service that walks you through it step by step.
Write a will with SwiftWillExternal link — Church Near Me does not provide legal advice.