Top Ten Reasons to Donate Your Vehicle
People donate their used cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles or RVs for various, usually personal reasons. These are arguably the top ten vehicle donation reasons in the United States listed in no particular order:
- It’s a tax write off.
- It helps charity in general.
- The donation will directly help my immediate neighborhood.
- It doesn’t run and the vehicle’s parts are obsolete.
- There’s a city ordinance about “junker” vehicles in the street.
- It’s cluttering the driveway as we have too many cars.
- I have no relatives or friends who will take it.
- Even the demolition derby refuses to take it.
- I don’t know what else to do with it.
- Did I say that I get a tax write off?
Tongue and cheek humor aside, motor vehicle contributions are more than tax write offs. When consumers decide to donate a car to charity they must understand that the IRS states that taxpayers must itemize on Schedule A, Form 1040, in order to claim a tax deduction for any charitable donation. Consult your tax professional or go to irs.gov for more information as this is not to be construed as tax advice herein this article.
Who benefits from vehicle donation besides the consumer making the donation? Sometimes the money stays in your locality or state, sometimes the money that the charity makes from selling your vehicle goes into a charity “pot” to be parceled out as needed. Do your research before making any vehicle donation as there are many documented scams involving car donations and car donation auctions. It helps to know the fair market value of your vehicle before making the donation and ask questions to make sure that you are getting a proper receipt for your donation.
- Action Donation Services
- Donate a car, boat or RV in the Los Angeles Area
- Do Car Donations Make Sense?
- The IRS Guide to Vehicle Donations
- Your Charity Navigator Guide to Donating Your Car
- Charities who accept car, boat and RV donations by State
- Car Donations in San Francisco Area
- Donate a used auto, RV or truck in San Diego