A California vehicle donation here in the "Golden State" may help
someone in need in your own community. An entire family could possibly
end up getting helped by your generosity. And you may even get a tax
deduction along the way. But these are not necessarily the best
benefits.
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| Car Donations In California "Golden State" |
Are there special rules for donating my vehicle in California?
Just
a few special rules for the CA DMV (Division of Motor Vehicles: You
must leave the license plates on the vehicle (most states you are
required to remove them), and you must fill out a Release of Liability
form. This form can be downloaded from the CA DMV website or filled out
in person.
A tax break is just the start:
Depending on your situation, you could immediately free your premises of
a possible eyesore. You might get additional parking space and/or
regain space in your garage (or perhaps your yard). You'll be able to
circumvent the hassles as well as cost of having to refurbish an old
motor vehicle in order to get it ready to sell - not to mention having
to advertise it and find a buyer for it. These jobs are hassles and
require your time to be able to complete them - your valuable time.
Free towing from your place:
You may be thinking that repairing and selling your older car may get
you a little more money as compared to donating it. Although this may be
true, your car donation in CA can instantly take care of these
time-consuming inconveniences. Remember your time isn't free, yet most
non profit organizations will tow your car or truck for you - and for
free. So this really is like money in the bank for you.
Non-running vehicles often accepted:
And if your car or truck is non-running - and maybe even up on blocks,
it is still more than worth it for the charity: The salvage yard will
pay the charity enough money to cover towing plus some leftover for the
needy. And in case your donated vehicle is valued above $500 (figured
through Kelly Blue Book or NADA), you can claim more than the standard
five hundred bucks tax deduction!
Beware of bogus "charities:"
California has many bogus car donation "charities." Most of them are
eventually busted and deactivated, but for every one that gets shut
down, a new one appears. So how do you recognize which of them are
legitimate?
One way is to check that any California charity you
may be considering is registered with the state. Here's a link to the
CA Charitable Organization Financial Database search: http://cfr.doj.ca.gov/.
Another
link from the Attorney General of California is the Registry of
Charitable Trusts (RCT), which can be found on this page: http://caag.state.ca.us/charities/statutes.htm.
Charity 'watchdog' websites:
It turns out the answer is really simple - An easy search online using
at least one of the online companies which qualifies charities based on a
variety of factors. Simply type the name of the charitable organization
in the search box on the 'charity watchdog' site. Or you could query
the California Attorney General Office's website, or the Secretary of
State website. Most states, like California, require nonprofits to
register with them, and have searchable databases on their websites.
But another caution here:
Nearly all of the Attorney Generals (including California) are quick to
emphasize that although a charity is registered with them does not
imply that the charity is necessarily a good one. Registration means
exactly that - that the charitable organization registered as required.
It's
interesting to note that part of the registration with the states (in
the ones that require charities to register) is the requirement to
submit financial reports every year. However, it is easy for the bogus
charitable groups to fudge these reports, submitting figures that make
them appear legit and 'above board.'
So check the charity out at two sites:
Because we now understand that fraudulent car donation charities may be
registered with the state of California, it's a wise idea to check out
any charity you may be considering at a minimum of two websites:
Not
only confirm that the organization is registered with California, but
it is also listed 'in good standing' with one or more of the web based
'charity watchdog' agencies.
You having nothing to lose and everything to gain!
So now you know how to choose a high quality vehicle donation charity
here in California. Not only will you be doing something truly good for
somebody or some family in your community, you may even get the tax
deduction. And don't forget all those time-saving and hassle-saving
fringe benefits of donating your old vehicle!
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