Charity tax relief proposals are 'galling', says philanthropist The Government has proposed changing the rules on donations in a bid to curb tax avoidance. Higher rate taxpayers donating to charity can currently reclaim more than half the tax, but from April the maximum will be £50,000 a year, or a quarter of the individual's income. Ministers believe some wealthy people are abusing the tax relief to reduce their income tax bills, but charities fear the move will cut the volume of donations they receive. I'm still very passionate about what I do with Local Giving. I've put four years of my life and £2m into it so far, and I won't stop doing it. But it's rather galling to feel that the last four years and that money has now been seen as a tax dodge. It doesn't give me a very good feeling," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. If you want to encourage people to help communities, and do 'Big Society', then you must give them incentives to do so, and show that they are recognised. She added she felt it likely David Cameron would retreat on the policy. The Prime Minister said yesterday he would "look very sympathetically " on the concerns raised by charities.