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Vehicle Donation - Help Yourself and Others

Vehicle donation: What is it and why would anyone considering donating
a car or truck? Well, all of us have been there, at one time or
another. An old car just isn’t doing it for us any more. It might be broken
down, or have body damage, or we’ve just decided to get a newer car and
the dealer didn’t want it in trade. Also, with rising gas prices, more
and more people are switching to public transportation. Regardless of
the reason, you could find yourself with a big, useless hulk sitting in
your driveway.

If you find yourself in this situation, vehicle donation could be a
great solution for you. In doing this, you would donate a vehicle to a
charity or other non-profit. They will either: fix it and sell it, fix it
and use it themselves, or sell it for parts or scrap metal.

Vehicle donation offers a lot of benefits. First of all, you get the
unsightly car that you are no longer using out of your hair. Many
charities that accept donated vehicles will even come and pick up your car for
you! You also can get a deduction on your income tax for the fair
market value of the car, if you itemize. Perhaps most importantly, however,
you will be converting something that you no longer want or need into
a way to help the less fortunate.

Of course, nothing is without its drawbacks, and there are some
negatives to consider if you decide to donate a vehicle. First of all, you
will have to do some investigation to find a charity in your area that
accepts donated cars. Not every charity is able to handle these sorts of
donations, so you might find yourself calling several different places
before you find someone willing to take your vehicle.

Most charities that accept used vehicles will re-sell them after
repairs, so you should focus upon organizations that operate thrift stores or
even, in some cases, car lots. There are also non-profits that work
with young people, and donated vehicles are used to help the kids learn
auto repair and body work.

There are some other factors to take into consideration, as well. You
must be careful to make sure that the title is correctly passed to the
charity, or you could be liable if the car is later involved in an
accident, or if the new owner gets parking tickets or other violations. The
exact procedures for doing this vary by state.

Lastly, if you want a tax deduction for your donation, there is a great
deal of paperwork that you or your tax professional will need to
complete. While it can involve some work and aggravation, if you choose to
donate a vehicle, you can enjoy many benefits and transform an eyesore
into a helping hand for the less fortunate.

Vehicle Donation - Help Yourself and Others / Author: C.L. Hendricks

Occupation: website manager and content writer
C.L. Hendricks has been a Jill-of-all-trades and become an expert in some. She writes for http://www.invitingsmiles.com, http://www.survival-homestead.com, and http://www.car-accident-advice.com, as well as several other websites on a variety of topics.
http://www.survival-homestead.com

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