Create a lasting legacy
Create a lasting legacy
Leave a gift in your will
Gifts in wills are crucial for our work
They make up more than 1/3 of the funding we need to stop asthma attacks and, ultimately, cure asthma.
A gift in your will to Asthma UK – no matter how small – could help us find that cure for asthma.
Useful links
> Help with wording your gift
> Information for executors and solicitors
> The impact you can make
Get your free Gifts in Wills Guide for all you need to know about how and why to leave a gift in your will to us.
Our legacies team is here to help with any queries about leaving a gift in your will.
Get started on writing or amending your will for free with our free will writing service.
Information for executors and solicitors
All you need to know if you’re administrating a will with a gift to us
What wording should I use to leave a gift in my will to Asthma UK?
How a gift in your will can help us stop asthma attacks and, ultimately, cure asthma.
Gillian has left a gift in her will to ensure no child ever misses out because of asthma
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a legacy gift?
A legacy gift is a donation you leave to a charity, person or organisation in your will.
What type of gift can I leave?
There are three main types of legacy gifts:
· Residuary legacy: a share of your estate after all other payments have been made.
· Pecuniary legacy: a specific amount, e.g. “£5,000”.
· Specific legacy: a particular item, such as property, antiques, jewellery or shares.
Do I need a will?
Leaving a will is very important as it allows you take care of your assets, your loved ones and the causes you care about after you’re gone. If you die without leaving a valid will, your assets – or your estate – will be shared according to certain rules that may not have been what you wanted. This is called intestacy.
How do I make a will and what does it cost?
We would always recommend using a solicitor or professional will writer. Individual wills generally cost around £150 and for ‘mirror wills’ (see our legacy glossary for these terms explained) it’s roughly £250. Learn more about our free will writing service.
How do I leave a gift in my will to Asthma UK?
You’ll need our full name, address, and registered charity numbers:
Asthma UK
18 Mansell Street
London E1 8AA
Registered charity in:
- England and Wales (326730)
- Scotland (SC038415)
- Isle of Man (1177)
See ‘What wording should I use to leave a gift in my will to Asthma UK’ for more information.
Are there any tax benefits to leaving a gift in my will to charity?
Currently, if your estate is worth more than £325,000, the executors of your will may have to pay inheritance tax at 40%. You can cut the IHT rate on the rest of your estate from 40% to 36%, if you leave at least 10% of your 'net estate' to a charity.
Charities are also exempt from inheritance tax. This means that gifts to Asthma UK are ordinarily paid free of tax and are deducted from the estate before the tax is calculated.
Charities are also exempt from capital gains tax so, if an asset is sold as ‘bare trustee’ for Asthma UK, we can reclaim the tax. We can also reclaim income tax that has been deducted at source from the income of the estate.
The rules are complex, so to avoid paying more tax than necessary, please contact legacies@asthma.org.uk.
For information about tax on gifts in wills, go to the HMRC website (for UK only).