Tax Advantages For Donating Your Car

When you have a car that you want to get rid of, it is often easier to donate it than sell it. While donation may not sound appealing, you have to consider the tax benefits of donating a car. However, in order to reap the full benefits, you must donate it in the proper way.First, tax rules have changed regarding vehicle donations. At one time you could write off the fair market value of the car. People were taking advantage of this process, which led to reform. The reform was necessary because people were deducting a great deal more than their vehicle was worth. The government was losing a lot of money due to this fraudulent behavior. Now, if you claim the value of the car to be more than $500, you have to claim the amount the charity you donated it to sold it for.That means you could end up with a tiny tax donation. Often, charities are not able to make a great deal of money off the cars that are donated to them. You could have a car with a fair market value of $2000, and the charity could sell it for $500. That would be devastating, as it would not help you very much on your taxes.Luckily, there is a way around this. Instead of donating it to a charity that will auction it off, donate it to a charity that will use it. For example, there is a charity called Charity Cars. Charity Cars uses the donated vehicles for their business, which means you can deduct the market value of the car. The reason you are able to do this is simple. When a charity is actually going to use your vehicle, it falls under a different category when you file your taxes. When a charity auctions off your car, it is seen as a cash donation more so than anything else. When the charity actually uses your car, you are able to write off the actual car.When you deduct the market value of the car, it can become cash in your pocket at tax time. You will get to put that deduction down, and then you will get a refund. The refund will be based on the fair market value of the car, along with your tax bracket.This is a great way to make extra money at tax time, as well as do something good for others. There are many organizations around that offer this and you want to go with one that uses the cars for their business so you can get the maximum benefits.This is an easy alternative to selling, and you will get some money at tax time. Do your research and use the charity that will benefit you the most. Then, you simply need to call them up and tell them you would like to donate your car. In most cases, they will pick it up. You will get some paperwork to help at tax time, and then you will get your deduction.