Gifts in Wills frequently asked questions

If you’d like to include ShelterBox in your will, simply insert the following message:

I give to ShelterBox Trust of Falcon House, Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PH, registered charity numbers 1096479 [__% of the residue] of my estate/[specified amount] absolutely for its general charitable purposes.

Don’t forget to use our full name and details to make sure the gift reaches us.

Yes, there are three types:

1. A pecuniary gift is a fixed amount of money.
2. A specific gift is a gift of a specific item, like personal possessions, land or shares.
3. A residuary gift is a percentage or share of the balance of your estate once all other payments and gifts have been made.

Many people prefer to give a residuary gift because it keeps in line with inflation and does not lose value over time.

In the UK, Inheritance Tax is currently paid to the government at a rate of 40% if your estate is worth more than £325,000. However, the rate might be reduced to 36% if 10% or more of your estate is left to charity.

Most gifts left to ShelterBox are exempt from Inheritance Tax because we are a charity. You can find out more by contacting HMRC or a solicitor.

The choice is yours! However, if you let us know your intentions, we’ll know how best to support you.

It also gives us a chance to thank you if you do decide to remember ShelterBox in your will. Of course, any information you provide is completely confidential and in no way legally binding.

If you would like more information on leaving a gift in your will to ShelterBox, please call for our Gift in Wills experts on 0300 0300 500 or email us at [email protected].

We recommend you consult a solicitor to make sure that all the legal formalities are covered and that your will is valid. The cost of the solicitor will vary depending on how complex your will is.

The Law Society is the independent professional body for solicitors, and you can search their official directory at lawsociety.org.uk. Or, you can simply write your Will for free with our free Will-writing service here.

We know that for most people family and friends come first. Including a gift in your Will won’t stop you doing that, especially if you decide to leave whatever is left over once they’ve received their gifts.

When consulting your legal advisor, you can find out more about what to include in your will to make sure your loved ones are taken care of, as well as the causes you care about.

When writing your will you need to make sure that you have chosen executors for your estate – these are people who will ensure that your wishes will be carried out.

You can choose more than one executor, and they could be a legal professional, friend or family member.

As well as choosing who the executors when writing your will – the people who will deal with your estate in the event of your death – you may also wish to name guardians for your children.

Before you speak to a solicitor or professional Will writer, they will expect you to have a rough idea of what you own and what it’s worth.

This might seem off-putting but all you need is a basic valuation at this this stage. Don’t worry about working out the exact value of everything; as long as you have a rough idea of the value of your estate, that’s enough for them to get on with.

You should think about how much the following things are worth:

• Property
• Car
• Savings
• Personal possessions, including sentimental objects
• Your pension
• Any investments you’ve made
• Your business (if you own or part-own one)

You also need to have an idea of any existing debts you have. These debts might include mortgages, loans and overdrafts. Again, this doesn’t have to be a precise value, but your solicitor or Will writer will need to know a rough idea of the amounts.

If ShelterBox has kindly been left a gift in an estate that you are administering, please contact our Legacies team by emailing [email protected].

We will be able to provide support and guidance to both personal and professional executors, along with our paying in details.

We’ve also created a guide below full of the information you might need.

Download Executors Guide

If you’re a solicitor who has been asked to leave a Pecuniary or Residuary gift to ShelterBox in a will, here are the details you’ll need:

Charity Name: ShelterBox Trust

Charity Number: 1096479

Charity Address: Falcon House, Charles Street, Truro, TR1 2PH

We know that the legal terms used when discussing Wills can be confusing, and as such have created a Glossary of terms which you can find here.