The government has moved significantly in its attitude towards tax relief on donations to encourage philanthropy ("Alma maters hit the phones to plead with old boys and girls", THES , May 3). But your article's implication that a standard-rate tax payer giving in the UK would be at a disadvantage compared with a donor in the US, in terms of benefiting from tax relief, is not correct.
A donor in the US makes a donation inclusive of tax and then informs the Internal Revenue Service. Donors in the UK make donations exclusive of tax, and charities must reclaim the tax from the Inland Revenue.
The method is different, but the outcome the same. If a standard-rate tax payer in the UK wishes to donate ?1,000, he or she sends in a payment of ?780. The charity then reclaims the tax that has been paid by the donor to make up the difference.
Joan Cole
Alumni fund director
University of Warwick