Remembering St Hilda's in your Will
By remembering St Hilda’s in your Will, you help secure the future of the College and ensure that it continues to thrive for generations to come.
Bequests to St Hilda's have accounted for more than half the income donated to the College over the last decade. People who have told the College that they have included St Hilda's in their Will are eligible to join the St Hilda's Society, members of which are invited to an annual Feast.
All legacies and bequests to the College are free of UK Inheritance Tax, by virtue of the College’s charitable status.
Deed of Variation
If you are a beneficiary under a Will, you can transfer all or part of your inheritance to the College under a Deed of Variation. Gifts thus transferred are free of Inheritance Tax, affording the opportunity for St Hilda’s College to benefit during your lifetime.
How to include St Hilda’s in your Will
As St Hilda’s is a registered charity, your much valued gift is exempt from Inheritance Tax (which is currently levied at 40 per cent) and can help to reduce the taxable threshold of your estate.
Suggested Wording for any legacy or codicil to benefit the College:
For a Residuary Legacy:
I give the whole (or a share, for example a percentage) of the residue of my estate to the Principal and Fellows of St Hilda’s College in the University of Oxford;
For a Pecuniary Legacy:
I give the sum of £__ (in figures and words) to the Principal and Fellows of St Hilda’s College in the University of Oxford.
And include the following declaration:
And I further direct that the receipt of the Bursar or other proper office for the time being of the College shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my trustees.
Transfer of Shares, Land and Property
When quoted shares and securities are transferred to the College, UK income tax relief can be claimed by the donor for the full market value of the gift at the time of transfer, in addition to relief on any existing capital gains tax payable. This enables those holding shares with large capital gains to make a major donation to the College extremely cost-effectively.
American Friends of St Hilda’s
US tax payers can also receive Estate tax deductions by making a Legacy gift through the College’s 501(c)(3), the American Friends of St Hilda's.
"I appreciate how privileged and fortunate I have been to go to St Hilda’s and I am enormously grateful for the opportunities which Oxford has opened up. For this reason, I’m leaving a gift to the College so that future generations of students can also share and benefit from this unique experience."