Consider A Car Donation

Michael Colucci
August 12, 2006

If you are looking to purchase a new vehicle, you may be trying to figure out what to do with your current automobile. Many people trade in their old cars to reduce the price of a newer car. While this is a good strategy, another thing you can do is donate your car to a charity. Believe it or not, there are a number of advantages this has over trading in a car towards the purchase of a new vehicle. When you buy a new car from a dealer, you will find that most of them will try to talk you into trading in your old car. Once you do this, they will often turn around and sell your older car, especially if its in good condition.

However, this is not what usually happens. In most instances, the dealer will try to buy the car from you at a lower price than they expect to get when selling it at an auction. When you donate your car to a charity, not only will you be turning it in for a good cause, you may also get a deal which is better than what you would find from a dealership. Many people don't realize that donating their car to a charity can allow them to get a tax deduction during tax season. Not only can you use it as a tax write off, you will often earn money that is significantly more than what you would get from most car dealers.

When most people hear about car donations, they are often discouraged because they feel that it will be a long process that will cost them a lot of money. Nothing can be further from the truth. In reality, donating your car to a charity can be just as quick as trading in your car through a dealer. Remember, the charity needs the car from you, and will make it convenient for you to turn it in to them. To donate your old car to a charity, the first thing you will need to do is contact charities in your area. They will be able to answer any questions you have about donating your car. Many of them will visit you at your home and pick up your car, saving you money on shipping.

Once you have donating the car to the charity, you will be mailed a receipt of the transaction. The receipt should tell you how much the car was sold for, and it may also tell you the price that you are given by the charity. Once tax season arrives, you will be able to get your reward for donating your car to the charity. By helping other people who may be less fortunate than you, you will feel good, and you will also be rewarding financially. Most people trade in their cars when they go out to purchase a new one. Only a small segment of the population uses car donation services. However, car donations services are a smart financial tool that can allow you to save a large amount of money on taxes over a long period of time.

The money that you save on taxes can be used for investments, vacations, or anything else you're interested in. Before you trade in your existing car for a new one, be sure to look at the car donation services in your area. Michael Colucci is a writer on Car Donation which is part of the Knowledge Search network