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Frequently Asked Questions: Leaving a gift in your will

Leaving a gift in your will to Amgueddfa Cymru is a straightforward process. Here we provide answers to some frequently asked questions.

How do I leave a gift in my will to Amgueddfa Cymru?

Whilst it is simple to leave a charity gift in your will, we recommend that you discuss your wishes with a solicitor or professional advisor to make sure the wording is clear and legal.

First you must ask yourself a few important questions:

What kind of gift do you want to leave: See What type of gift can I leave?
How do you want your gift to be spent: See Can I specify how I would like my gift to be spent?

The answers to these questions will determine the wording in your will, and if you need to include a Letter of Wishes alongside your final will. Whilst your solicitor will be able to help with specific wording, they will need the following information:

Full name of organisation: Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales
Registered address: Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NP
Registered charity number: 525774

We also advise you discuss your wishes with your family while you are drawing up your will.

I already have a will written, do I need to write a new one in order to leave a gift to Amgueddfa Cymru?

If you already have a will in place, you can make minor amendments, including adding charity gifts, using a Codicil. This is a simple document that will be stored alongside your will. You should speak to your solicitor or professional adviser for further information.

Do I need to tell you about a gift in my will?

We understand that the details of your will are private and that you are under no obligation to tell us about your gift. However, we would like to be able to thank you for including us in your will, and to discuss the positive impact your legacy gift will have. If you’re interested, we’d love to invite you for a special visit to one of our sites for a behind the scenes visit and to meet some of our experts.

If you’re thinking of leaving a gift to a specific site, project or department, then it’s important you speak to us so we can ensure we are able to fulfill your wishes.

What type of gift can I leave?

There are four types of gift that can be left to us:

Pecuniary gift: The gift of a specific sum of money.
Residual gift: The whole or a specific percentage of an estate left after pecuniary and specific legacies.
Specific gift: The gift of a specific item, for example, a work of art, furniture or shares. It’s important the wording in your will clearly describes the item or asset to avoid any possible confusion.
Reversionary gift: A gift left to a chosen beneficiary, while meanwhile allowing another person to have the use of it during their lifetime. For example, you may want to leave a property to a charity, but allow someone to have the use of the property for the remainder of their lifetime.

Can I specify how I would like my gift to be spent?

We understand that many people feel particularly passionate about an aspect of our work or one of our museums, and so wish for their gift to reflect their passions; your legacy gift is part of your legacy. If you do have conditions or wishes attached to your legacy gift, it’s important you discuss your wishes with us while writing your will so that we can ensure we’ll be able to fulfill your wishes.

Can charity gifts reduce the Inheritance Tax Liability on my estate?

Amgueddfa Cymru is a charity; we rely on the generosity of our supporters to continue the work we do.

Gifts to charities are exempt from inheritance tax, which means that leaving a gift to us may help reduce your tax liability. In addition, if you leave 10% or more of the net value of your estate to charity in your will, your estate will qualify for inheritance tax at the reduced rate of 36% rather than 40%.

As everyone’s tax situation is different, your solicitor or professional adviser will be able to discuss the ways in which charity gifts may reduce inheritance tax on your estate.

Can I leave an object or item to Amgueddfa Cymru?

Over the years, our collections have grown thanks to the generosity of individuals thinking of us when considering how to pass on their treasured possessions, and for this, we are incredibly grateful.

If you own an item you believe is of national importance, you may wish to leave it to Amgueddfa Cymru as a specific gift. Please let us know when you draw up your will so we can make sure we will be able to accept your item and look after it as you would wish.

If you are planning to leave Amgueddfa Cymru an object in your will, we’d be grateful if you would consider leaving a pecuniary or residuary gift to support the costs that are associated with caring for the collection.