Community Amateur Sports Clubs
In this section of the site, we aim to give you some information and advice on the benefits and process of registering as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC).
As part of its continued support for the CASC scheme the Sport and Recreation Alliance (S+RA) has developed a CASC-specific website which is to be an interactive focal point for the scheme. The site www.cascinfo.co.uk is intended to provide clubs with information on the scheme and other fiscal issues affecting grassroots sport.
Subs for Clubs:
The S+RA is campaigning on behalf of CASC registered sports clubs to be permitted to claim Gift Aid on junior subscriptions. This would mean that clubs, as well as benefiting from the subscription, would be able to claim back 28p in the pound as Gift Aid. If successful clubs would have more money to invest and be more incentivised to recruit and retain junior members. We would therefore urge you to support the campaign by writing to your MP. More information on the Subs for Clubs campaign can be found at www.cascinfo.co.uk.
In the meantime, whilst lobbying for the Subs for Clubs campaign continues, there are mechanisms that allow for a restructing of junior subscriptions to enable a club to claim Gift Aid. For further information kindly contact the Legal Department.
Gift Aid:
The HMRC website (www.hmrc.gov.uk) has a specific section for CASCs which includes information on ‘Gift Aid for CASCs’. Also available from HMRC is an updated CD ROM ‘Gift Aid Toolkit’. A gift aid helpline is also now in existence which is accessible via the website www.giftaidhelp.org.
CASC Bill:
There is currently a Private Members Bill before parliament which contains measures to help to ease administrative and financial burdens on clubs in relation to gas, electricity and water rates, floodlighting and funding for coaching as well as music licensing. The S+RA have been heavily involved in this Bill and whilst Private Members Bills rarely become law the S+RA believes that the Bill provides a platform for Parliamentary debate and a solid set of proposals to push forward. A copy of the Bill can be downloaded from the Parliament website http://services.parliament.uk/bills/ . We would enourage you to write to your MP to request that he/she lend support to the Bill which will help progress the Parliamentary debate.
Club Status:
If you are considering CACS status of your club, we would advise you to consider the other alternatives at the same time that is incorporation / charitable status / remaining as an unincorporated association. We would advise you to look at the Incorporation/ Charitable Status/ section of the website. You may also wish to take specialist tax advice.
Follow the link to the Deloitte website, where in the publication section you will find a guide entitled Community Amateur Sports Clubs The Tax Options which provides an analysis of the fiscal merits of the CASC v- Charitable v- status quo options.
If you require further assistance please do not hesitate to contact the Legal Team Tel: 0844 5569519 Email: legal@rya.org.uk.
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