May 7th, this Tuesday, is National Teacher Day. A day to honor teachers and educators, and to salute the crucial role teachers play in our children’s futures.

At Kars4Kids, education is our mission, it is the very air we breathe. Our after school mentoring programs, as well as summer camp and tuition assistance, are all geared towards aiding children’s education in every way possible.

We were curious about how many people feel like a teacher changed their life, how they changed their life, and if those people have ever thanked those teachers, so we ran a survey asking all of those questions and more.

Here are the fascinating results of that survey.

Satisfied Students

Americans are clearly happy with the level of education they’ve received. A stunning 70.7% say that they would want their children to have the same teachers they had.

Most parents would want their children to have the same teachers they had.

Americans also feel that their teachers have inspired them. 75.7% of respondents say that a teacher has inspired them in their career or education choices.

Which Teachers

In the same survey, an overwhelming 61.5% of respondents say that their high school teachers had more impact on them than their elementary or middle school teachers.

And while that may seem like the more obvious choice, more interesting is the finding that elementary school edged out middle school by about 5%, 21.8% to 16.7%.

Saying Thank You

The most surprising statistic that we got from this survey was when we asked if people have ever sent a gift or thank you card to a teacher.

Even though around 75% say that a past teacher had a direct impact on their future success, only 25% of respondents have ever sent a gift or thank you card to a teacher.

This low number is despite the fact that 58.9% said that teachers should receive bonus pay for performance based results or positive feedback from parents and students, clearly indicating that most feel that teachers deserve a big hearty thank you.

Today is the day that we should all be saying thank you, give a shout out to your teacher on Twitter for example.

Some ideas include:

“My teacher Mrs. Johnson changed my life in 3rd grade. Thank you!” Tweet This

“I would not be where I am today if not for my 10th grade teacher” Tweet This

“Shout out to all the amazing teachers out there shaping our future!” Tweet This

 More Good News

Another piece of encouraging news coming out of of this survey is the involvement of teachers in after school activities. In fact, 80% have had a teacher who participated in out of school activities.

It’s amazing to hear that our dedicated teachers are giving up their personal time to go above and beyond!

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted within the United States on behalf of Kars4Kids from May 1-2, 2013, among 1,000 adults ages 18 and older. This survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology and results, please contact 5W Public Relations. The press release about this survey can be read in full here.

The world is abuzz with the story of deceased millionaire Roman Blum who passed away last year leaving his $40 million estate to… no one.

The unclaimed estate is the largest in New York history and is in danger of passing into the state’s ownership if no relatives are identified.

At Kars4Kids, this story made headlines for a different reason. We were shockled to discover that Roman Blum actually donated a car to us a few years ago!

This image courtesy of the New York Times shows Mr. Blum, shirtless, at a birthday party on Long Island in 1983.

The Mercury Sable with a vinyl top is still in use by Kars4Kids today, and has indirectly benefited the thousands of families and their children that Kars4Kids assists.

Seems like Mr. Roman may have been a very charitable man. We’d like to think he would have considered the children we help if he would have had a chance to write that will.

More interesting cars and the stories behind them can be found on the Kars4Kids Garage.

On October 29th 2012 the tri-state area was struck by a massive storm known now as Hurricane Sandy.

The devastation caused by the storm was unprecedented in it’s scope and strength, and six months later, many areas of New York and New Jersey are still far from a full recovery.

As the clouds passed it soon became clear that the damage to vehicles was especially extensive, with a full airfield needed to store a small portion of the flood damaged cars.

Picture by Doug Kuntz courtesy of The New York Post

Although many charities did not see a bump in car donations after the storm, Kars4Kids was one that saw a massive influx of flooded cars from all over the storm ravaged area.

Now, over six months after the storm, Kars4Kids is still seeing a small trickle of cars damaged by the hurricane.

Robert Moskovits, director of business development at Kars4Kids, says that the donations have slowed but they haven’t stopped. “Surprisingly, we are still seeing Sandy damaged cars over  half a year after the storm. In April we saw about 30 Sandy damaged cars donated, about one a day.”

Kars4Kids uses the car donations it receives for it’s myriad educational initiatives.

Since taxes have existed, Americans have been trying to exempt themselves. Here are some interesting things that can be deducted, as well as some that can’t.

1. Whaling captains can claim up to 10,000 for ship repairs and equipment. However, you’d better be a Native American if you want to be a whaler in the USA. [1]

2. “Exceptional” Trees – If you have an araucaria heterophylla—commonly known as Norfolk Pine—in your backyard, you’re in luck. At least if your backyard is in Hawaii. The Norfolk Pine is considered an “exceptional tree” in the Aloha State, and you could get a $3,000 deduction to maintain the special species. [2]

3. Moving expenses – moving a pet. [1]

4. Restitution in a fraud case. An insurance company sued two doctors for insurance fraud. The doctors admitted liability and agreed to reimburse the insurer for the losses it sustained, and the insurance company agreed to release a claim for restitution in a pending criminal case. The IRS ruled that the repayments are deductible provided that the doctors originally included the money in their incomes in prior years. But to demonstrate that crime doesn’t fully pay, the IRS said the repaid funds are a miscellaneous itemized deduction that’s allowed only to the extent it exceeds 2% of the doctors’ adjusted gross incomes. [5]

5. Clarinet and music lessons as treatment for an overbite. [1]

6. Swimming pool if it’s necessary for medical purposes. [1]

7. Tax Breaks for Drug Dealers – If you make your money dealing illegal drugs, getting your taxes right might not be high on your list of priorities, but just because the money is made illegally, doesn’t mean the IRS won’t accept taxes on it. The Tax Court has clarified some potentially helpful details on the situation. (Remember, sometimes tax evasion is easier to prove than more insidious crimes. Think Al Capone.) Baggies and soil for marijuana plants are not deductible. Neither is the apartment you work from or the cost of your security team. However, you can deduct the cost of your product. [3]

8. Quitting smoking – Costs of programs or patches etc… [1]

9. Childcare costs while you volunteer at a non-profit. [1]

10. Defense costs for criminals. [1]

11. Losing weight on a doctor’s orders. [1]

12. Dog’s used to protect a business property may be deducted as a business expense. [1]

13. Business in Bermuda – If you happen to plan your company’s next conference in Bermuda (or Barbados, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, or Saint Lucia) you can write off the trip, even if there was no particular reason to do business there. (Wouldn’t be the weather or sandy beaches or anything, right?) [2]

14. Deer Meat – If you’re unfortunate enough to hit a deer in South Carolina (sorry, Bambi), there’s a silver lining: the state gives you a $50 tax credit for every butchered deer you donate to charity. [2]

15. Centenarian Deduction – Who says aging doesn’t come with any benefits? If you’re old, you’ve earned it, right? New Mexico would be inclined to agree. If you’re close to the century mark while living in the state, you earn exemption from income tax. [2]

16. Parents of kidnapped children can now claim them as dependents until they turn 18—previously it was only the year in which they were taken. [9]

17. African Safari – The IRS allows taxpayers to write off “ordinary and necessary” business trips. Somehow that allows dairy farmers to write-off trips to the African Savanna to learn about animals relevant to their business. [2]

18. Deadbeat Friends – That cash you lent your friend in a pinch? Even if they skip out on repaying you, all is not lost. You can write off the unpaid amount if there’s no hope to collect payment. [2]

19. Ostrich Depreciation – As their livestock ages, farmers can deduct the depreciated value from their taxable income if the animals are used for breeding. In the past, the IRS allowed a Louisiana ostrich farmer to depreciate the cost of his ostrich. [2]

20. The ‘Starving Artist’ Deduction Performing artists get a deduction for expenses they incur while employed under certain circumstances, which seem almost ridiculous in their specificity: They have to have at least two employers and receive at least $200 in income from each; job-related expenses are more than 10 percent of income from performing artist jobs; and their adjusted gross income cannot exceed $16,000. If they meet those requirements, they can deduct art-related expenses. Pointe shoes, guitar picks, and paint cans really add up. [3]

21. Straight as an Arrow? The government has long imposed an excise tax on arrows, with the money raised going to fund wildlife restoration. Now an excise tax of 46 cents, as of 2012, is imposed on arrows that are more than 18 inches and/or are suitable for a specific kind of bow with a specific amount of draw. Wooden arrows designed for use by children are exempt. Obviously. [3]

22. Rewards for Renting If you rent space for fewer than 15 days in one calendar year, all the related income is completely tax free. If you rent it out for more than 15 days, “your income is taxable as rental income and you could allocate certain expenses,” says H&R Block’s Gil Charney. So listen up, New Orleans and New Jersey taxpayers: Two weeks is the max for renting out your house for the Super Bowl. Hamptons homeowners likely already know the rule. [3]

23. Burning Down the House If you donate your house to the local fire department to burn down for practice, you can deduct the loss – as long as you donate your land too. There have been a number of cases related to this, says Charney. It’s best to tread lightly in this area and avoid “donating” your house for firemen to raze if it’s only to make room for a new one. That kind of generosity doesn’t count. [3]

24. Pregnancy Tests: This deduction is specifically listed in the tax code, but that doesn’t make it any less odd. So go ahead and stock up on those tests at the pharmacy, because there’s nothing in this deduction that requires the test be administered by a physician. [4]

25. Transportation to Donate an Organ: Organ donor can deduct not only any medical costs associated with the donation, but also costs of transportation. [4]

26. Making movies. A lawyer faced a challenge from IRS as she sought to deduct losses during the six years for she worked at making a documentary film, “Smile Til It Hurts: The Up With People Story.” IRS claimed the long series of annual losses indicated that her film making activities were a hobby, pointing out that since her husband once was a member of the musical group Up With People, the project was a sort of high-cost home movie. [5]

27. Fancy dresses… but only if they’re so tight you can’t sit in them. Celebrity Dinah Shore claimed some formal dresses on her tax return, and, as you might suspect, the IRS immediately cried foul. Dinah explained that the frocks were business expenses; she only wore them on her television show and couldn’t possibly wear them for personal reasons because they were so tight she couldn’t actually sit down in them. The last laugh was on Dinah, though – although the IRS agreed to let her deduct the dresses, legend has it they sent a representative to judge which dresses really were too tight to sit down in. [6]

28. Amish Buggy. Well, it wasn’t the buggy that was questionable – it was used for business and is a legitimate expense. It was the tricked-out accessories the young Amish man wanted to include on the write-off: dash lights, kick plates, tinted windshield, speedometer, hydraulic brakes and dimmer switches. [6]

29. Foreign nationals gambling legally in the US are exempt from the 30% withholding tax on their winnings that Americans must pay.Songwriters selling their catalog of songs can claim it as a capital asset, and pay the capital-gains tax rate—15% or less—rather than the income tax rate—which can go up to 35%. [9]

30. Sporting event tickets: The IRS will allow business owners to deduct sporting event tickets (customary costs) as long as all parties attending are related to the promotion of a business and business topics are discussed at the event.Sporting event tickets: The IRS will allow business owners to deduct sporting event tickets (customary costs) as long as all parties attending are related to the promotion of a business and business topics are discussed at the event. [7]

31. Deep sea fishing: Again, as long as business discussions are conducted and considered in the cost of doing business, it would be possible to deduct this type of expense. It is difficult to inspire investments and other funding if you are unable to impress clients to some degree. Understand just how much of these types of expenses can be deducted before filing your return. [7]

32. Bariatric Surgery Want to lose a couple of inches this year? In 2002, the IRS ruled that obesity is a medical disease, which means that specific treatments aimed at curbing obesity are allowable deductions, including bariatric surgery. As with all medical expenses, you can only deduct unreimbursed expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). [8]

33. Addiction Treatment Speaking of drinking, you probably know that too much is bad for your health. Drinking, smoking and drug abuse are serious medical hazards, so the IRS has ruled that you can write off expenses related to quitting. Eligible deductions can include the cost of any products or programs designed to help you quit, including nicotine patches or other aids. In-patient treatment at a drug or alcohol facility including meals, lodging and some transportation expenses can also be deducted as medical expenses. Additionally, transportation to and from meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, if attended based on doctor’s orders, can also be written off. [8]

34. Makers of fishing-tackle boxes no longer have to pay a 10% excise tax on each box—a provision inserted into the 2004 jobs creation bill lowered the rate to 3%. [9]

And a few attempts at tax deductions that were rejected by the IRS:

1. Carpet removal. An allergic taxpayer tried to deduct the removal of carpets as a medical expense. It was denied — as was the cost of installing hardwood floors in their place. [10]
   
2. Salad. The cost of lettuce & tomato was not allowed as a medical expense for a diabetic on a restricted diet. The same person also tried to deduct artificial sweeteners and reduced-salt foods. Nope! [10]
3.  Air-conditioned hotel room. A one-night stay in a hotel was not allowed as a medical expense for an asthmatic taxpayer with a broken air conditioner. [10]
4. Bath oil. A dry-skinned taxpayer tried to deduct the cost of bath oils as a medical expense. Not allowed. [10]
5. Dentures. Though a set of false teeth enabled an actor to enunciate without a hiss, they were not allowed as a business deduction. [10]
6. Mink coat. Not allowed as a business deduction for taxpayer’s wife to wear to business functions. [10]
7. Arson. A Pittsburgh, PA owner of a failing furniture store paid an arsonist to burn down his store. He reported the insurance as income, but deducted the $10,000 paid to the arsonist as a “consulting fee”—and admitted fact that to the IRS on audit. Yeah. [10]
8. Racehorse: Another business owner once purchased his own racehorse and tried to claim it as a business expense. His justification was that he brought his business clients to the horse races to be entertained by watching his horse race. [11]
9. A ballerina tried to deduct the cost of a tummy tuck. [12]
10. One woman tried to write off Botox expenses as an “image enhancement” expense. [12]
11. A pianist tried to claim manicures as a business expense. [12]
12. A farmer tried to claim food and veterinary expenses for his toy poodle as a farm-building “guard dog.” [12]
13. One woman tried to deduct her gambling losses as a charity donation. [12]
14. Many reasons for deducting the cost of a swimming pool were offered by various clients. (One filer failed to realize that he needed to actually have children and dependents in order to claim them.) [12]
15. One filer tried to deduct tanning-bed expenses.  [12]
16. One woman hoped to add a deduction by writing off the cost of Zumba exercise classes. [12]
17. Hair transplant: Most accountants are quick to notice when a client tries to shave a little off his or her tax bill. But Laura Cullen, a CPA in Fresno, Calif., admits even she did a double take when a new client tried to pull the hair over her eyes. “We had a client that had been transferred to the U.S. from another country. He was an educated, likable, sharp guy,” she recalls. “The first year I did his personal tax return, being aware that you could itemize your medical expenses, he asked me to expense his hair transplant. I had a heck of a time explaining why I couldn’t.” [13]
18. Spatulas: “My client is a painter, and he gave us his airfare to Brazil as a deduction,” she recalls. “When I questioned the airfare, he said he went to Brazil to get spatulas.” [13]

Sources:

[1] http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/General-Tax-Tips/10-Strange-But-Legitimate-Federal-Tax-Deductions/INF14190.html                                                              [2] http://www.usnews.com/news/slideshows/10-bizarre-tax-deductions                        [3] http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Media/Slideshow/2013/01/25/10-Wacky-Tax-Laws.aspx                                                                                                                                         [4] http://taxes.lovetoknow.com/tax-deductions-credits/weird-tax-deductions               [5] http://www.kiplinger.com/article/taxes/T054-C000-S001-extraordinary-tax-deductions.html                                                                                                                               [6] http://mentalfloss.com/article/26974/quick-10-10-weird-tax-deductions-other-people-got-away-you-probably-wont                                                                                          [7] http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/tax-law-tax-deductions/15480365-1.html             [8] http://www.investinganswers.com/personal-finance/tax-center/8-unbelievably-strange-tax-deductions-4124                                                                                                       [9] http://www.newser.com/story/55682/six-weird-tax-deductions.html                      [10] http://blogs.hrblock.com/2012/04/16/weird-tax-deductions-top-strange-tax-deduction/                                                                                                                                          [11] http://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/2010/01/04/uncommon-silly-and-just-plain-weird-tax-deductions/                                                                                                                             [12] http://www.planadviser.com/Weird_Wonderful_and_Unsuccessful_Tax_Deductions.aspx                                                                                                                                                       [13] http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/02/29/were-from-the-irs-weird-tax-deductions-you-should-avoid-claiming/

April 15th. Tax day. A day we all dread. Filing your taxes can be complicated and intimidating, but here at the Kars4Kids car donation program taxes and tax deductions are things we think about all year round. That’s why we’ve compiled our and other’s top tax articles and tips into this one page. You’re very welcome.

1. The Benefits of a Tax Deduction: How much will my car donation actually deduct from my tax bill? How do charities try to maximize that deduction? This is where you’ll find answers
2. Filing Taxes – A How To: Tax filing can be confusing at best, intimidating and downright scary for some. No need to worry, we’ve got your tax filing fears covered. Let us hold your hand as we walk you through some frequently asked questions, common mistakes, and many other tips for filing vehicle donations and tax filing in general.
3. Why Pay More Taxes If You Can Pay Less? Few people like to pay taxes. Luckily, there are tons of deductions you could be claiming to save you a lot of money. Let’s walk through some of those deductions.
4. Ten Tax Mistakes You Simply Can’t Afford: The last thing you need is to pay extra because of a simple mistake. Or, even worse, to have penalties accrue because of errors made while filing. These are the top ten most common mistakes.
5. Tax Guide to Car Donation: Car donations can be extra confusing during filing season. We make it easy with our handy, easy to read guide. Download it, print it out, share it with your friends!
6. Kars for Kids featured on Fox4: Tax mistakes to avoid

Strange Tax Deductions You May Never Have Known You Were Eligible For

1. 10 Strange But Legitimate Federal Tax Deductions: Own a dog or just quit smoking? You may be eligible for a tax deduction. These and 8 other surprising deductions from TurboTax.
2. The Most Overlooked Tax Deductions: If you are eligible for a tax deduction the last thing you wan to do is miss out on those valuable savings!
3. 10 Creative But Legal Tax Deductions: Have a hobby? Commute to work? Another list of interesting but valuable deductions you may be eligible for.
4. 10 Things I wish I had Known Were Tax Deductible: 10 more…
5. 14 Funny Tax Deductions: Self explanatory title right there.
6. Crazy tax deductions allowed by the IRS

Recent Tweets about tax deductions

Additional findings show that 94 percent of U.S. adults donate goods to charity by de-cluttering their homes more than once per year. Of the 94 percent who donate to charity, 36 percent of those surveyed claimed the garage is the space at home most in need of de-cluttering.

More than a quarter of respondents indicated that de-cluttering is the topic argued about most in their household. Despite the convenient and cost effective process of donating a car, only 5.4 percent of adults reported donating their used cars when they purchased a new one. Additionally, 4.6 percent of adults will keep their old cars and not use it, contributing to the clutter.

The survey also revealed that 69.4 percent of adults are making an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. However, of that number, only 6.5 percent of respondents purchased a hybrid vehicle. Furthermore, nearly 63 percent of those surveyed are not participating in one of the most effective ways to reduce their carbon footprint: donating an old vehicle for potential recycling.

As the leader in national charity car donations, Kars for Kids offers unique incentives as well as tax credit eligibility for donating used cars and reminds drivers of donating as an alternative option to selling or junking a vehicle. “We were surprised to learn that a very low number of adults donate their car to charity despite the financial and environmental benefits,” said Avi Gordon , Chief Operating Officer of Kars4Kids. “Over 25 percent of vehicles on the road are used cars and they contribute to 75 percent of all harmful emissions.”

Kars 4 Kids is a non-profit organization that works to give back to the community through a variety of education, youth development, family outreach, and faith-based programs. They provide an array of services to Jewish children and families including educational programming, school placement, tuition assistance, the Kars for Kids camp, mentorship programs, cultural activities, religious instruction, recreation and guidance counseling.

For the latest information about this program and other car donation opportunities, please visit www.kars4kids.org or follow Kars4Kids on Twitter @Kars4Kids.

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted within the United States on behalf of Kars4Kids from March 18-24, 2013 among 1,000 adults ages 18 and older. This survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology and results, please contact 5W Public Relations.

Today, we had an awesome conversation on Twitter with @accunningham96 and @jordenberendt.

You see, when our awesome Twitter account meets with awesome Twitter peeps, well, awesomeness is bound to ensue.

Being green has become an ever-present part of our societal consciousness. We take proactive steps to preserve and enhance the gift that is our planet. We do this because we accept that our efforts on behalf of the environment fulfill a crucial responsibility to the next generation.

So we recycle cans, bottles, and paper, leaving a smaller footprint in all we do. We are careful never to litter and try to purchase green products, too. Our green ethos extends to purchasing low-emission cars that use less fuel.

But what happens to your aging car when the time comes to purchase a replacement vehicle? What is the greenest way to handle this situation? Does selling an old car to a new owner represent green thinking? After all, you are keeping your old car on the road a little bit longer, albeit with a new owner. Surely that’s a good thing—making sure your car still gets some use?

Unsound Idea

Actually, that’s a very unsound idea, environmentally speaking. Old cars hail from a time in which emissions standards and fuel consumption were, well, behind the times. Rather than offering a green solution, keeping an old car on the road means enabling and perpetuating a conspicuous source of the grossest air pollution. Underscoring this issue are the results of one California study which estimated that cars of 13 or more years account for 25% of all driven miles while accounting for 75% of all car-related pollution.

So what’s a green-minded person to do? The answer: donate your car.

Car donation represents the greenest possible solution for your old car. Car donations that no longer meet current standards are carefully recycled. The steel that is realized from the recycling process can be used for a myriad of new uses, including cans for canned goods, beams for building homes, shovels for gardening and agriculture, forceps for surgical procedures, paper clips for office use, even roller coasters, just to name a few of the many possibilities. By donating your car, you help keep the roads clear of abandoned vehicles, too.

Some car recycling facts:

• Steel can be recycled any number of times, never losing its strength during the recycling process.
• The steel realized from the recycling of just 6 cars is enough to frame a 6,000 square foot home
• In the year 2000, 14 million cars were recycled, yielding an amount of steel sufficient to make 48 million utility poles, or one-third of all United States utility poles
• A total of 75% of car materials are recyclable.
• A full 65% of all steel produced in North America originates from scrap

Keep up to date with our green initiatives on our Kars4Kids blog or on the Kars for kids Twitter account.

It is sort of a cross between a bus and a pickup truck

What is that thing?

But the history of the vehicle is more interesting. The side of the bus has a URL on it to www.DenisForStateAssembly.com which is no longer available. But The Wayback Machine, a website that saves copies of old web pages, has this snapshot from February 2nd 2011.

Which tells us that Nelson Denis ran for the 72nd district of the NY state assembly. Here is his full biography.

This must have been his campaign bus/pickup truck.

Here are some more cool pictures, for more interesting vehicles visit the Kars4Kids Garage.

Now, a new report from The Non Profit Times by Patrick Sullivan, details the numbers of car donations of Sandy damaged cars.

The NPT interviewed many car donation companies about the affect that Hurricane Sandy had on their donations and found a potpourri of mixed results.

Read the full article and the interview with Kars4Kids.