donate vehicle

Some critics have claimed that car donations are essentially a tax shelter. However, non-profit organizations in the US have come to rely increasingly upon the revenue from car donations. This type of donation has become increasingly widespread; in 2000, 733,000 U.S. taxpayers reduced their taxes by $654 million.Although advertised as an easy way to dispose of an old car, donors need to fulfill certain post-donation requirements to qualify for the tax deduction, such as obtaining a written acknowledgment of the car's subsequent sale by the charity, and itemizing tax returns instead of taking the standard deduction.

For vehicles valued at less than $500, the deduction amount comes from the donor's own estimate of the car's value, even if the charity receives less money from its sale. Deductions greater than $500 are limited to the proceeds of selling the vehicle, usually at auction. The U.S Internal Revenue Service advises that starting in 2005:

The rules for determining the amount that a donor may deduct for a charitable contribution of a qualified vehicle, including an automobile, with a claimed value of more than $500 changed at the beginning of 2005 as a result of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. In general, that Act limits a donor’s deduction to the amount of the gross proceeds from the charity’s sale of the vehicle.

For vehicles valued at over $500, taxpayers are required to attach the charity's written acknowledgment to their tax return.Vehicle donations in America are operated in a wide variety of plans, ranging from highly organized and professional-grade not-for-profit, national, or local charities to scrap yards, haulers, tow-truck companies and salvagers who establish programs that may support a charity. According to Charity Navigator, the guidance of the rating agencies concerning car donation programs, where the charity receives a flat fee for the use of their name by a third party, versus program management by a third party,there are some questionable companies who contract to use a nonprofit’s agencies name and logo to raise funds and then just give them a flat fee unrelated to income or performance.