Important Tips on Automobile Donations

2007-03-08 10:33:40

( Charity )



Used cars, especially very old ones, are quite hard to dispose or resell. One way of getting rid of your old unused car properly is to make automobile donations to charitable organizations that are accepting such contributions. Even some cars that are not running could be donated. For your convenience, many charitable groups are even willing to go to your home or office to pick up your car donations.

Things to Remember Before Donating Vehicles

Verify the legitimacy of the organization

There are many unscrupulous groups that are on the look out for people to swindle or cheat. Therefore, it is advisable to research on the group you want to donate a vehicle to. You must be sure that your donation will really go to the beneficiaries of the charity or to a good a cause. Moreover, if you plan to make your automobile donations eligible for tax deductions, you must confirm if your preferred charity is a qualified nonprofit group. Educational, charitable, or religious groups are the most common types of qualified organizations. It would also be better if you donate a vehicle to groups that directly accept automobile donations. Some intermediary companies that accept automobile donations for some charities get a huge portion of the proceeds of the sales of your contributions. Thus, only a small amount goes to the charitable group.

Know the value of the car you are donating

Tax collectors are now carefully checking the value of automobile donations because of the proliferation of misrepresented or over valued car donations. Thus, before donating vehicles, you must know the fair market value of your car so you won’t have problems with your tax audits.

Be a responsible donor

Know the paper works that are needed when donating vehicles. You must also keep the receipts given to you by your beneficiary organization. Even if your main goal is to make your donation tax deductible, it would be a win-win situation if you also make sure that most of the money from your donation will go to real charities. Take your time in deciding which organization your automobile donation goes to and don’t be hasty in giving your donation to advertised easy-donation schemes.


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