How to Donate a Car in Fremont, California
If you live in the Silicon Valley city of Fremont, California, with a car you no longer need or want, you can donate it to one of the local area nonprofit organizations. While some charities accept car donations for actual use, car donations are commonly auctioned off so that the proceeds can benefit the charity. As long as you make a donation to an organization listed with the IRS, you are eligible to claim the vehicle donation on your taxes.
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Instructions
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Use the IRS nonprofit database web page to look for Fremont area charities that are eligible for tax deductible donations. Local and national charities, such as the Davis Research Foundation and Rotary Club of Fremont, accept car donations.
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Check the fair market value of your car before donating it by looking up the "private party" value on the Kelly Blue Book website. Alternatively, you can check the listed price of similar vehicles in the Fremont area by looking in the local newspaper classified ads.
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Contact the Fremont charity where plan to donate by phone or email to see how they accept car donations. You may need to get the car to them, or they may be able to arrange pick up of the vehicle.
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Give your car to the charity along with the car title. If you cannot locate the title, be sure to let the charity know before you arrive because they can assist you in getting a duplicate title through the California DMV office. Alternatively, you can visit your local DMV office with your car registration and photo ID to request a duplicate car title. As of May 2010, the fee for a duplicate car title in California is $18.
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Wait for the charity to auction off the vehicle. Once they do, you will get notification within four to six weeks of the final auction price. If it is $500 or less, you can claim the fair market value of the car up to $500 on your taxes. If it sells for more than $500, you can claim the fair market value of the car up to the final auction price.
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Tips & Warnings
You can also use a car donation center, such as Cars 4 Causes, that accepts and process car donations on behalf of several Fremont area charities. Select the charity you want your donation to benefit.
