If you have a vehicle that is simply cluttering up your driveway, or maybe it would cost more to repair the car than it's actually worth, you might want to think about donating it and getting some cash back.
Donating your car also lets you have a tax deduction come that time of year, so one way to get that cash and deduction is by giving your car to charity. Start checking
out charities that interest you and that are willing to accept your car. Religious groups that qualify as charities are a good place to start looking, but whatever you
choose, make sure the group is non-profit and a 501(c)(3) organization. This means that they will be exempt from some federal taxes. There are also some websites, like
www.donatecarusa.com, that list organizations and charities that take cars for cash.
Once you have a charity in mind, call or stop by to learn the steps you'll need to take to donate the car. Some have a form or application you'll need to fill out in
order to be entered into a database of charitable donations. They might also tell you what to do with the title of the car, but if not, make sure to check with your local
motor vehicle department regarding charitable donations.
A towing company or someone that represents the charity will then come to pick up the car, whether it's in running order or not. Make sure you give the keys with the
vehicle, and that you get a receipt in return. The donation receipt should have the name of the charity, the date of donation, the federal tax identification number of
the charity and your full name and address. If not, make sure the receipt is updated before the car is removed.
Once the car sells, you will be notified by the organization. If it sells for under $500, you won't need anything but your original receipt for filing taxes. Anything
over $500 means the organization will provide you with an updated receipt showing the final sale price so this can be used as a tax deduction.
If for some reason you don't want to go the charitable donation route, you can try selling to a junk yard. Some auto yards pay cash for vehicles whether they're running
or not. Just make sure that you always get a bill of sale at the end of transaction.
