What is a Legacy?

A legacy is a gift left in a Will to a person, charity or other organisation. There is no limit on the size; it can be large or small. Every gift makes a big difference.

Do I have to be wealthy to leave a gift?

Not at all. Services and activities can be paid for by a gift, or many smaller gifts left in Wills. Gifts in Wills can also pay for many other things – equipment, training, fuel for outings. Whatever you can afford, you can make a real difference to the lives of the people we support.

Why a gift in a Will?

Making a Will can give you and your family peace of mind, and ensure your wishes for your loved ones are fulfilled. It can also allow you to support the causes most important to you, perhaps beyond what is possible during your lifetime.

Gifts to charity in your Will are also tax-free. If you leave a gift in your Will to NEAS, it will be deducted from the value of your estate before the taxman calculates how much inheritance tax, if any, is payable. This can make it a cost-effective way of giving.

A gift in a Will can help us to plan and continue our work in the future. A gift of any size can make a big impact on the people we support.

What types of gift can I leave?

There are three main ways you can leave a gift:

Residuary – leave a share in, or all of, what is left of the value of your estate after you have provided for family and friends. The advantage of leaving a share is that it stays the same over time and you won’t need to change your Will to keep up with inflation.

Pecuniary – a set sum of money. You can index link your gift if you wish, to stop it losing value over time.

Specific – This is an item you wish to leave and could be anything from jewellery, a piece of art, to a house.

Suggested wording

Your solicitor will be able to word a gift for you, but you may also find the following suggestions helpful.

A share of your estate (a ‘residuary’ gift):

I leave.........per cent of the residue of my real and personal estate to the North East Autism Society, 15 Lumley Court, Drum Industrial Estate, Chester le Street, DH2 1AN, registered charity number: 1028260.

A gift of money (a ‘pecuniary’ gift):

I leave the sum of ...........(in words) pounds £....... (in figures) to the North East Autism Society, 15 Lumley Court, Drum Industrial Estate, Chester le Street, DH2 1AN, registered charity number: 1028260.

A gift of an item (a ‘specific’ gift):

I leave......... to the North East Autism Society, 15 Lumley Court, Drum Industrial Estate, Chester le Street, DH2 1AN, registered charity number: 1028260.

We suggest that you always get help from a solicitor to ensure your wishes for your family and any charities you support will be clearly understood and recorded correctly.

I’ve left a gift in my will, should I tell you?

If you feel comfortable in telling us, we would love to know who our generous supporters are. It gives us the opportunity to acknowledge the important decision you have made. Letting us know also helps us to plan for the future and keep you informed about our work.

You can complete the pledge form in this pack to let us know your plans.

What if I change my mind?

Letting us know you plan to leave a legacy gift does not commit you to doing so. You are free to change your mind at any time.  It would be really helpful though, if you tell us you have changed your mind

Can leaving a gift to charity help me pay less tax?

Gifts to UK registered charities are exempt from Inheritance Tax. In some cases, having a Will can help to reduce the amount of inheritance tax that needs to be paid from your estate.

Gifts between spouses or civil partners, and gifts to charity are tax-free. And gifts to charity have further benefits: instead of paying 40% inheritance tax on your taxable estate, if you leave 10% or more of your estate to charity, inheritance tax is paid at a reduced rate of 36%. This can leave more money available for the people and causes you care about. We recommend that you speak to a solicitor for advice on tax issues.