| Giving your vehicle to a vehicle donation center is a | | | | donation center at all. |
| gesture of good will and generosity that helps the | | | | Over 95% of transactions that take place at |
| charity of your choice to make a difference in the life | | | | authorized vehicle donation centers, are done as a |
| of people and families in need. A car donation center | | | | "for-profit" business venture. The donation center must |
| usually does business through a 'middle' agent between | | | | follow certain rules of conduct with regards to how |
| you (the donor) and the charity you wish to help (the | | | | you may be enticed into vehicle donation. There also |
| recipient of your donation). Car Donations are quick | | | | exists a register of organizations that are not allowed |
| and easily handled utilizing charity vehicle donation | | | | to do business in the state. |
| programs. You can donate cars, trucks, vans, boats, | | | | One very important function of an authorized vehicle |
| planes, even lots and real estate. | | | | donation centers is helping you determine a fair |
| When one has a car that is a good candidate for | | | | donation value for your donated car, truck, boat or RV |
| automotive donation, there are very often time | | | | to be reported to the IRS. This is not the so-called |
| constraints that don't allow for a great deal of | | | | "blue book" value but, instead, its value on the market. |
| shopping around for the most needy individuals in the | | | | Bear in mind, this market may be wholesale rather than |
| community, much less, repairing and making that | | | | retail. |
| vehicle a useful donation. An authorized vehicle | | | | Most often, the value you'll be given a receipt for is the |
| donation center, that is recognized by charitable | | | | value the charity ultimately receives for the car. If you |
| organizations and the IRS, will be able to take care of | | | | don't receive a receipt suitable for tax purposes right |
| your vehicle, find the best and most effective use for | | | | away, that's o.k., but if you receive no word in a few |
| the vehicle and give you a verifiable receipt for your | | | | months, you should start making phone calls to the |
| tax forms. | | | | authorized vehicle donation center's offices in question. |
| But, how do you know your vehicle is being used for | | | | If the car is being repaired before sale, it could take |
| the charitable purposes the supposedly authorized | | | | some time. Even though authorized vehicle donation |
| vehicle donation center claims to support? There are | | | | centers very rarely do that, preferring the wholesale |
| several signs, especially when you're looking online for | | | | and scrap methods. |
| such a service or responding to solicitation, that you're | | | | This is especially true in the case of vehicles that are |
| dealing with a non-authorized vehicle donation center. | | | | not currently running. However, there is still money to |
| A quick check with just a few, even as little as one or | | | | be made, and most legitimate and authorized vehicle |
| two of the charitable organizations (preferably ones | | | | donation centers will be happy to come and haul your |
| you've heard of before), should yield an | | | | old car, truck or boat away for free. You should be |
| acknowledgement of the authorized vehicle donation | | | | suspicious of any supposedly authorized vehicle |
| center's association as a qualified agent of that charity. | | | | donation center that would require you to pay for |
| Any legitimately authorized vehicle donation center will | | | | towing services and ask. |
| be able to provide you with a list of charities it brokers | | | | If the fair value of your car is less than $250, there is |
| deals for. | | | | no reason to bother with a form of donation from your |
| Though very few authorized vehicle donation centers | | | | chosen charity or a third-party organization such as an |
| are registered with the IRS as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit | | | | authorized vehicle donation center. However, for |
| organization, the charity you donate to must be. | | | | anything over that amount, you will need a receipt in |
| Without this badge of approval from the tax | | | | writing. If you receive more than $5,000 for your |
| authorities, you'll not be allowed to legally take the | | | | vehicle, you will be require to fill out an additional form |
| deduction. Even worse, this can set you up for an audit | | | | (Form 8283, section B) to be signed by a |
| and no one wants to mess with that kind of attention. | | | | representative of the authorized vehicle donation |
| A truly legitimate authorized vehicle donation center will | | | | center in question AND an independent appraisal. |
| be able to provide you with their tax ID number so you | | | | Though there are certainly charlatans out there who |
| may confirm it on the IRS website. | | | | would take advantage of charitable giving to line their |
| Several states additionally certify authorized vehicle | | | | own pockets, the IRS and state governments take this |
| donation centers on their own. If your state is one of | | | | very seriously. The state Attorney General's office will |
| these, you can easily check with the state attorney | | | | have a list of known scammers to avoid. Once you |
| general's office to see if the donation center you're | | | | know the authorized vehicle donation center you've |
| considering is listed on the state non-profit rolls. If not, | | | | chosen is on the up and up, you can donate with |
| you may not be dealing with an authorized vehicle | | | | peace of mind. |