Has anyone ever donated their car to charity??

[badboyeee]

I have a car that keeps breaking and it now just frustrates me. Now I want a new car. I was thinking of selling it, but it would be pretty hard to sell this car. trade-in of that car would be worse. today i looked on the internet and found that i can donate my car and its tax deductible!

has any of you tried it?? do you really get a tax deduction, valued at the blue book private party price?

it would be great if someone can tell me more about this.

 

[badboyeee]

bump

 

[Calcio]

My dad did that a couple years ago. He got a deduction for $500. It was a 65 Ford pickup. Not sure if the $500 was blue book though

 

[Jfur]

I did with several older cars that were in fair condition. Kidney cars.

 

[Sluggo]

If you plan on taking a substantial deduction from the donation, check with an accountant to make sure you have a high enough income level to support a large charitable contribution.

 

[badboyeee]

well the car is actually under my dad's name. he makes middle-class dough.

 

[kaymin]

yeah my bro donated his car to the blind. the car was a piece of garbage, it was like a pre 89 honda civic, it didn't run anymore and teh rear bumper was in teh back seat...they hauled it off and we got a tax reduction...

i think they gave us too much of a deduction for it so we ended up under reporting it so that no one would get suspicious

benefits us both

 

[Tsaico]

I donated mine old clunker to a church and got blue book deduction for it. If yours is in poor condition or very high milage, i say go for it.

As a side note, why on earth will blind charities need a car? Specailly a civic that won't seat many... better to get vans and have one sighted drive the blind around. COurse thenone would hope he isn't dumb, cause then it would be the dumb leading the blind...

 

[The Stigenator]

I gave my old Hyundai (registered to my dad) off to the Aids Foundation of LA or was it the Make - A - Wish foundation I dont remember. However I do remember getting more than what I paid for it.

My dad got me the car for a grand worth, well he drove it for a while until Saturn could track down his new car and get it to him. When I took over it lasted 3 months from then on. After which it became unreilable due to it once overheating after which it started to leak oil. Otherwise teh car was in perfect health, but that oil leak was bad. So we donated it and we got 1200 USD for a car that cost us $900 Dont ask me how.. that is what their adjuster put it as. She came by to look at the car and drop off papers and then I signed a few things and she had a tow truck guy take it the next day. We took it in as a $1200 deduction.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Gave a Chrysler NY to the local Auto shop of the trade school a few years ago.

They gave me a receipt for it without a value.

When the IRS questioned it (comprehensize dig for dirt type due to a grudge between the investigator and myself), I showed the ads for the same vehicle in the used car lots. That worked.

The car lot values are listed higher then the blue book.

Admittedly the car had an exhuast leak from the manifold that had cooked the battery, the AC stopped and it needed a new paint job. However, this made an excellent car for the kids to learn on.

 

[EagleKeeper]

If the charities can not use the vehicle for their purpose, they will either sell the car to a used car lot or to a junk yard.

 

[badboyeee]

Thanks everyone for responding.

Cool, sounds like donating a car is a good idea. Did anyone get ripped off?

I have a white 1991 Mazda 626. I've already done like $1000 worth of repairs on it the past year and it needs at least another $1000 to make the car in good condition again (a belt just broke, A/C compressor needs to be replaced, after thats repalced power steering will work again, front left strut needs to be replaced (but it's fixed in pairs), windshield wiper water tank has a leak, breaks squeal %50 of the time, power window on the passenger side doesnt work). After I fix this car up, ill probably get around $900-$1200 for a trade in, $1300-$1600 if I sell it myself. That's how much I would be spending just to fix it up again. However the Blue Book Private Party value of the car right now, AS IS, is worth $2,600. If I can (or my dad can) get a deduction for that much, that would be great! Not only we get a tax deduction, the car would be donated for a good cause and we can feel good about that.

 

[4824guy]

last year I gave away my old car to the Kidney Foundation. I called them up and a few weeks later They picked up the car and towed it away.

A few weeks later I recieved some paperwork for tax purposes, they report no dollar amount, it is just a proof of donation. On my taxes I reported what I 'estimated" the car was worth as a donation to charity, that was all there was to that.

 

[MrDingleDangle]

one of my friends did...he actually donated it to be smashed up...like $5 for 3 hits with a sledge hammer...then i think he donated the money...or he donated the car and thats what they used it for...boy was that fun

 

[Ornery]

Man! I couldn't even GIVE mine away! Every outfit I called said they couldn't take a car older than 1988 here in Ohio. The wrecking yard wouldn't give me anything if they had to pick it up, and only $25-$40 if I could drive it in! :frown:

Now I'm glad they didn't take it. Got it back on the road with $5.00 worth of "snake oil." Purring like a kitten... <knock wood!>

 

[SuperSix]

I'm about to do this with my 86 Buick Riviera, it's got an intermittent electrical short, and after months of diagnostics, I can't find it. I hate to get rid of it...

But I'll take the tax deduction..