Are you looking for a charity to donate your car too in Massachusetts? Well, here will guide you how to donate a car in MA to a good charity or organization with a great cause. We will also assist you in making sure that your donation is tax-deductible. That is, you will be able to claim it on your taxes.
Of course, there are a variety of reasons you might want to donate your car. Perhaps, you want to dispose of it but it has been difficult to find a buyer. Or maybe you just really want to do something for those in need.
Regardless of your intentions, this post will outline the best path for you to donate a car in MA. In addition, we will share the best charities and non-profit organizations to donate to Massachusetts.
How To Donate A Car in MA
If you plan on donating your car, you have to be meticulous in carrying it out. The following are the steps to take:
Verify the organization
To begin with, you have to make some research on the organization you are donating to. Many scammers try to defraud people trying to donate cars by falsely fronting as charities. So if you want to make sure your donation has an impact, you have to do due diligence to verify it is genuine. Furthermore, you will need to confirm that the charity is eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable. You can see if the charity is eligible, check the IRS’s Publication 78 Data List.
On the other hand, governments and religious organizations e.g. churches, temples may not be listed in Publication 78 but donations to them are still tax deductible.
Make inquiries
After verifying it, ask the charity a lot of questions to learn its background and mode of operation. It is important to do this to know whether the charity is a fit for you and how effective it is. Further, you can search independent charity rating agency to check the quality of the charity.
Also, ask the charity what they plan to use your donation for. It is also wise to ask the charity whether the handle all the aspects of the donation. That is because some charities contract with for-profit firms to handle managing the donations, so the proceeds are shared between the charities and the for-profit firms. So asking them will let you know how much of your donation actually makes it to the charity.\
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Appraise the vehicle
The next step is to determine the value of your car if you believe it is valued above $5,000. You should go to a qualified professional appraiser to get the valuation.
Handle the vehicle’s documentation
Generally, you may only need to transfer the title of the vehicle. However, you must do it personally and make arrangements with the charity on the transfer. On the back side of the title, you should assign the title to the charity, enter the mileage on the vehicle, sign and date the form.
Maintain a record of the donation
It is important to document the donation personally. You need to do this to have a record to present as evidence that you are eligible for the tax deduction. Some of the items you will need to include in the record are.
- A written acknowledgment from the charity.
- The fair market value of the car and the signed appraisal.
- The name and address of the organization you donated to
- A copy of your title, registration and any receipts you were given by the charity.
Obtain a receipt from the charity
Above all, you should receive a receipt from the charity of the sale of the vehicle. The amount you can claim as a tax deduction on the donation is equal to the sales proceeds from the vehicles. You will also need the certificate to submit to the Internal Revenue Service.
SEE ALSO: Donating a Car in Maryland | Online Donation for Humanity Metro Maryland
Best Charities to Donate A Car in MA
Kars 4 Kids
This charity focuses on helping youth and improving educational opportunities for them. In addition, it is a very reputable charity and easy to donate to. You can visit the Kars 4 Kids online webpage here to learn more about donating a car in Massachusetts.
Good News Garage
Good News Garage is a non-profit organization that helps less privileged individuals and families. To explain, they receive donated cars, repair them, and then gift them to low-income families. So their focus is on uplifting low-income families.
Vehicles for Veterans
Vehicles for Veterans is a charity that collects vehicle donations to help aid veterans. If you like to help veterans or would like to be patriotic, you can donate to this organization. The organization also has an online web page for people to donate their cars easily.