4 Ways to Get Cash for Your Car Donation

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Find the relevant form. A tax deduction reduces the amount of your taxable income, thereby lowering the total amount of taxes you pay, making you cash. The charitable donation deduction on your federal income tax return is located on Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Form 1040 Schedule A - Itemized Deductions (“Schedule A”).^[1]

• You may itemize deductions on Schedule A or take your standard deduction.
• Taxpayers should normally take whichever amount is higher.

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   Determine if you are eligible to take a tax deduction for donating your car to charity. To determine if you are eligible to take a tax deduction:
• Complete Schedule A. Read the Schedule A Instructions and follow them carefully. If you need assistance with this, you can contact a licensed tax attorney, certified public accountant (“CPA”) or IRS Enrolled Agent for help.
• Compare the total itemized deduction amount on Schedule A line 29 to your standard deduction amount, located on IRS Form 1040 (“Form 1040), page 2, in the left margin.^[2]
• If the amount on Schedule A is higher than your standard deduction, you are eligible to take a tax deduction for donating your car to charity.

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   If you are eligible for a tax deduction, make a list of all local charities. Find nearby charities:
   • Look in your phone book. Check the Yellow Pages under ‘Charitable Organizations’ for a listing of local charities.
   • Do an online search. Use your favorite search engine to search ‘charitable organizations’ or ‘charities’ and then narrow the search to your local area by including your location, for example “charitable organizations” and “Indianapolis”.
   • Use a charity guide or database. Several organizations offer searchable databases of charitable organizations. For example, Charity Navigator,^[3] Charity Watch,^[4] and America’s Charities^[5] are three good places to start your search.