Charities could stand to benefit from tax band changes which will see an additional 750,000 people paying 40 per cent tax on their salaries.

The higher-rate tax changes come into force from 5 April and could provide incentive to employees to regularly donate through their work, according to campaigners for workplace giving, Geared for Giving.  

"It may, at first sight, appear to be bad news for those affected but it could be great news for charities if only more employees were aware of Workplace Giving," a spokesperson for the campaign said.

While charities can only claim the standard rate of tax on gift aid donations, they can claim the full tax rate the employee would have paid when donations are made through workplace giving schemes.

Geared for Giving advised that in a poll of over 1000 employees, 68 per cent said they would be happy for charitable deductions to be made from their pay in an opt-out rather than opt-in system. Although 64 per cent stated that they would want a say in which charity their donations went to.

Rosie Runciman of the Geared for Giving campaign called for employers to get on board: "If employers could do one thing this year which would cost them nothing but help good causes it would be to ensure they offer a workplace giving scheme."

Some 45 per cent of employees do not have access to workplace giving schemes.