Securing the correct paperwork when you donate an auto for tax deduction purposes should be simple.  In fact, it should be automatic, but in some cases, you may have to remind the people, who are handling your donation, of their obligations under the law.  Since 2005, it has become far more straightforward to donate autos. Tax deduction benefits, however, are a bit less straightforward for most donations, than they were before 2005.

It is imperative that you not only secure your receipt of the transaction but you find out exactly what has happened to your vehicle.  Check to see if it is being used or fixed up for use, and if that includes a sale in the first two years after you’ve decided to donate.  Auto tax deductions are now very closely tied to the ultimate use of the vehicle.  Those which are sold wholesale within the first few months, without an intervening use, can only be for their sale price as the deduction.

Furthermore, the amount that actually goes to the approved charity in question is the amount you must not exceed when preparing your itemized deductions at the end of the year.  It’s in your best interest to make sure that’s the figure you’ve gotten if there’s a third-party agent that is facilitating the transactions for the charity in question.  When you donate an auto, tax deduction concerns are such that if anything is wrong at all, you risk loosing the whole deduction and attracting the attention of an IRS auditor.

Thankfully, not only are there guidelines for what documents you should have, but also time-frames in which they must be sent to you.  For instance, when you actually turn over the title and donate your auto, tax deduction paperwork should be set in motion.  This means that if the intention of the agency is to turn around and sell as soon as you donate the auto, tax deduction paperwork should be forthcoming within 30 days of the impending sale.

Such sales usually take place within the first week or so after the vehicle is picked up.  So, if it’s been two months and you’ve not heard anything, be sure and call the charity or third-party agent to find out what has happened with your car.  Again, they are required to tell you their plans for your donated auto, a tax deduction range they expect (given the use) and when you should expect your paperwork in the mail.

If, on the other hand, you find out that your car is in good enough shape to warrant repair and use by a needy person or family served by the charity’s mission, there is not a bill of sale to base your donated auto tax deduction calculation upon.  In this case, you should be given a notice within 30 days of this decision that indicates this practical use of the vehicle as well as the appraised value.

If the car will be worth more than $5,000 this appraisal should come from an independent appraisal service (arranged by the charity or third-party agent) and be provided with a signed Form 8283, with a completed section B.

You should expect Form 8283 (section A) for any value between $500 and $4999.99 earned for your donated auto.  Tax deduction paperwork then is simply a matter of filing these documents with your Form 1040 Schedule A itemized deduction worksheet.

If at any time you feel you’re getting the run around from any of the players, a call to your State’s Attorney General, Secretary of State Office or the Better Business Bureau are good places to start an investigation of a potentially fraudulent donation service.  If you’ve asked on more than one occasion for documents and they don’t arrive within the month, then you are being ripped off with regard to your donated auto.

Tax deductions are not hard now that there is an existing framework for getting the documentation you need.  Having a few pictures of the car as you’re getting ready to donate it are good, if possible.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 5th, 2009 at 3:56 am and is filed under Taxes And Auto Donation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.