Donating A Car!

Written By: Wayne Truter on October 23, 2009 One Comment

People care. Well, at least those who value helping others. Unfortunately with the crumbling economy most Americans are probably more worried of where they will be living, and if they can still afford food for themselves before thinking of others. The current financial crisis has elevated the number of impoverished people across the states.

The truth of the matter is, donating a used car is not as easy as they say it is. Aside from differing state regulations, the IRS has set sanctions on car donations due to rampant fraud. For example: the state of California requires a donor to fill up a liability release form, while Maryland asks for the “Maryland Notice of Security Interest Filing”. One thing in common for all states though, is that they all require the Car Title as a prerequisite for contribution.

The benefit of knowing the charity closely is that paper work will be a breeze. Car donation can sometimes be taxing if you are dealing with a difficult institution. Your tax write off is dependent on the amount of speed at which a charity can process paper works because the IRS only gives 30 days from the date of donation for the tax write off to be considered. Being a member of the organization could give you a higher fair market value, because you can arrange the contribution through the church and so you will not have to pay gift taxes. More current market price means more tax deduction and more donation amount.

To qualify for write offs, the donation must be made to an IRS qualified charities or the following: religious organizations; state, federal, and government institutions (as long as the car donation is for public use); Non-profit hospitals and schools; Red Cross, Good Will, Meals on Wheels, Care, Salvation Army, and the Girls’ and Boy Scouts of America; and those listed in the IRS’ publication 78. A donation is not tax deductible when it is made to an individual.

A car title is a strict requirement for donating a car. Prepare the 1040 form and fill up schedule A. The amount of deduction is limited to 50% of the already adjusted gross amount of your income. The write off is based on the cost at which the charity sold your car (if more $500), or the fair market value if the car is less than $500.

There are a lot of fraudsters out there. There are also car donation services that get more than the charity that really needs the money. When you give your vehicle to your community church the car value is maximized. When you go through middlemen to make a car donation, much of the amount taken from the sale of the car goes into the expense of the service company and its profit. Only a pittance goes to the actual institution.

It is very difficult to find a charity whose goals are the same as yours, much less one you could trust. By donating to the local church you are assured that the church charity will employ your car donation into something that will be of satisfaction to you as a donor.Read more about business car insurance when you want to read more related articles.

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