How to Donate Your Car To a Non-Profit Charity

Are you a prospective contributor donating your car to charity? If you are willing to donate a car to a nonprofit organization, you will receive more benefits that tax breaks. In fact, by donating your car to a charity you will help spread the wealth while generating income for a worthy cause. However, before your turn your car keys over to a charity, follow these steps before you transfer your car title and donate your car.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Car title
• A 501(c)3 registered non-profit charity
• Car donation program overview

1. Find a reputable car charity donation service. Alternatively, call the national or local office of your charity for car donation procedures. Important reminder:The non-profit that you choose to donate your car must have a valid 501(c)3 status for you to receive a tax deduction. In addition, taxpayers donating a vehicle receive a fair-market tax deduction for donating your car to charity.

2. Gather your vehicle's paperwork before donating your car to charity. Locate your car's title and vehicle service history. You will have to transfer the title to the charity. Have the car appraised for the current blue book value of your vehicle. Once you donate your car to a charity, it will be assessed at a salvage yard for its value.

3. Donate your car to the charity directly. Some non-profit organizations use middle man or vehicle donation processing center to manage the car donation process. If you can drive your car, take it to the junkyard for vehicle appraisal, or ask the charity to arrange for a tow truck to ensure safe passage for your vehicle.

4. If the car is valued over $500 dollars, ask for a receipt after donating your car to charity. You will need to deduct the value of the car after the sale of the vehicle. However,an IRS 2005 tax ruling changed the requirements for deductions for car donations. If the charity sells the car, the original owner may not take a deduction larger than the proceeds of the charity car sale.

Tips & Warnings

• www.800charitycars.org is a website for Charity Cars. This is a national car donation service that offers free towing and accepts cars whether they are running or not.
• A lot of advertisements for car donations on the internet are for charity car middlemen.
• If the donated car sells for less than 500 dollars the charity is not obligated to provide a receipt to the owner after the sale of the car.
• If you are using a middleman when donating your car to charity determine what percentage of the car's value will be donated to the charity minus the vehicle donation fee charged by the salvage yard, or car donation service.

Resources

• 1-800-Charity Cars - Non-Profit Car Donation
• Car Donation Center's Services to Charities
• How do I donate my car to charity?
• Wikipedia-Donating Your Car Charity

[tnpos]

on 6/25/2009 If I had a car to give to some one I would Look into this

[kcampese]

on 6/14/2009 You can donate car to Cars4Charities Car Donation Center, www.cars4charities.org