Automobile Donation — Free Pickup, IRS Tax Deduction

How automobile donation works (in three steps)

Auto donation is one of the simplest forms of charitable giving — the charity does all the work and you get a clean tax write-off. Here is exactly how it plays out:

1. Submit your automobile details. Use the 60-second online form or call 770-871-9422. We need year, make, model, condition, and the ZIP code where the vehicle is parked. No photos, no emissions test, no inspection required.
2. Schedule your free pickup. Within one business day, a licensed towing partner contacts you to arrange a pickup window. Free flatbed service nationwide — running or not. You sign the title over to the driver at pickup.
3. Receive IRS Form 1098-C. The automobile goes to a retail or salvage auction, typically selling within 30-60 days. Once it sells, we mail IRS Form 1098-C with the gross proceeds — that number is your federal tax deduction.

What kinds of automobiles can you donate?

The IRS's Publication 4303 — A Donor's Guide to Vehicle Donations defines "automobile" broadly. Cars Helping Kids accepts every category below, regardless of running condition, age, mileage, or title status.

If your situation doesn't fit cleanly, call 770-871-9422 — most edge cases (lost title, joint ownership after death, flood-damaged vehicles) are solvable with the right paperwork.

How much is your automobile donation worth on your taxes?

This is the question every donor asks. The answer is more specific than most people expect, and it comes straight from IRS rules:

• Your deduction equals the actual auction sale price reported on IRS Form 1098-C box 4c — not the Kelley Blue Book retail estimate.
• The $500 safe harbor: if your automobile sells for $500 or less, you may claim up to $500 without further documentation.
• Above $500: attach IRS Form 8283 Section A and Copy B of Form 1098-C to your federal return.
• Above $5,000: requires Form 8283 Section B plus a qualified independent appraisal (rare for cars; common for boats, aircraft, classic vehicles).
• You must itemize on Schedule A to claim the deduction. With the 2025 standard deduction at $14,600 single / $29,200 married, fewer than 10% of filers itemize.

For a full walkthrough including the $500 rule, Form 8283 examples, and common audit triggers, see our plain-English Car Donation Tax Guide or read the IRS source: IRS — About Form 1098-C.

Where the proceeds from your automobile donation go

Cars Helping Kids is the vehicle-donation program of Fainting Goat Foundation, a Georgia 501(c)(3) (EIN 99-0472123). After the auction sale, after the tow truck and paperwork costs, We accept vehicle donations from all 50 states. After the auction sale, after the tow truck and paperwork costs, net proceeds fund children's services programs:

• Backpacks and school supplies for kids starting the year without basics
• Weekend food bags for kids on free / reduced lunch programs
• After-school tutoring hours for kids falling behind
• Holiday and winter assistance — coats, meals, gifts for families in need

Because we don't spend on national TV advertising, a higher percentage of every donation reaches actual programs. See our 2026 transparency report and the publicly-filed Form 990 financials.

What makes Cars Helping Kids different

• Direct 501(c)(3) — no intermediary processor. Our proceeds don't pass through a for-profit fundraising company that keeps 50-60% as fees.
• No parent religious-outreach organization. Donations fund the program you see on this page, full stop.
• Clean public record. Zero state Attorney General actions. Not on any state's "may not solicit" list. No active lawsuits.
• Local accountability. Beneficiaries are across the country; impact is verifiable in person.
• Real humans answer the phone. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm ET · Text anytime · Same-day reply on 770-871-9422; text anytime for next-business-day reply.

Frequently asked questions about automobile donation