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FAQFrequently Asked Questions

General

As long as we receive your donation by December 31, 2024 11:59 PM, your donation and tax deductible receipt will be for the 2024 tax year, even if the vehicle is picked up in 2025.

Sure! You can donate almost any car that doesn’t run to our charity. If you have a vehicle that hasn’t been in running condition for a while, either fill out a form online or give us a call at 877-Kars4Kids - that’s 877-527-7454 - and we will come pick it up for free.

Donating a car to Kars4Kids, whether it runs or not, is a stress-free way to dispose of your unwanted vehicles. Most donated cars are recycled. Donating vehicles that don’t run still allows you to take advantage of a tax deduction and the proceeds from the sale of your vehicle go directly to helping Kars4Kids’ charity programs.

We accept car donations, RVs, trucks, boats, trailers, motorcycle, jet skis, vans, buses and snowmobiles. We can take just about any vehicle.

We will assess your car to decide how to sell it to make the most we can from it. The proceeds of the vehicle's sale will benefit Kars4Kids' charity programs and you’ll receive a tax-deductible receipt in the amount the car sold for.

No. There is absolutely no charge for donation processing or pickup.

Unfortunately we cannot accept abandoned cars. Contact the local police to list the vehicle as abandoned or find out if a local junkyard can pick up the car.

We pick up cars across the USA.

It depends. We can accept the car if you have a copy of the death certificate and documentation that you are the official inheritor of the deceased’s belongings.

There are a few benefits:

  1. You get a fast & easy pickup of your vehicle by professionals
  2. You receive a maximum Tax Deduction
  3. Free Vacation Voucher
  4. You get to help a charity for children

Pickup

No! Just remove all personal belongings from the car and leave the keys and title in the glove compartment.

You will receive a temporary receipt from the towing company at the time of pickup. It will have all of your car’s information along with our name and phone number. You just have to notify us once the car is picked up and we will mail the tax-deductible receipt to you along with the hotel voucher.

We can usually arrange to have your car picked up as quickly as necessary. A local towing company will be in touch to schedule a pickup within 24 hours after you contact us. Pickup is usually scheduled for a day or two later, but if you need your car picked up sooner than that, we’ll do our best to accommodate.

Kars4kids has a network of professionally licensed, bonded and insured towing agencies throughout the U.S. that pick up car donations. You will be contacted to arrange a time of pickup that is convenient for you, free of charge.

Sure! We can pick your car up from anywhere, be it the mechanic, the roadside or even in a different state.


Tax Deduction

The tax deduction you can claim is based on the value or sale price of the vehicle. The IRS allows you to claim one of the following tax deductions:

  1. If your car sells for LESS than $500: The fair market value of your vehicle, up to $500.
  2. If your car sells for MORE than $500: The amount we sell your vehicle for.

The tax-deductible receipt we send will reflect this amount.

Kars4Kids is a classified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. You can check with your tax advisor or accountant to determine the amount of your benefit. The deduction is of value only if the donor itemizes his or her deductions. For a more detailed overview the IRS publishes a Donors Guide to Car Donation.

Our experienced team evaluates each car to determine how to get the best sale price for it. We take into account many factors, including year, make/model, mileage and local market conditions. It is in our mutual best interest to sell your car for the most we can.

You should receive your tax-deductible receipt in the mail within 3-6 weeks of donating. You’ll also receive a temporary receipt at the time of pickup.


Vacation Voucher

The vacation voucher is a 2-night/3-day hotel stay voucher for 2 adults and 2 children with 50 locations to choose from. You can find out more about the voucher on our vacation voucher page.

The hotel destinations offered in this program are 3 star hotels, similar in quality to the Choice Hotels brand and La Quintas.

There are no fees involved in using the vacation voucher. You will be only be responsible for the taxes on your hotel stay. You’ll also be asked for a $50 deposit, a standard hotel reservation requirement, which will be refunded to you as long as you follow the terms provided.


Plates & Titles

You should remove the license plates once the tower arrives and return them to the DMV.

In the states of Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota and Washington, you must also turn in a release of liability to the DMV. In Washington, Illinois and Minnesota, this form is called a Report of Sale. In Alaska and Hawaii, you need to complete and return a Notice of Vehicle Sale, the transfer form that is attached to the bottom of your title.

On these forms, you should fill in our name and address: Kars4Kids, 1805 Swarthmore Ave. Lakewood, NJ 08701. For the vehicle purchase price field, you can fill in “donation”.

When signing your title, please make certain that you print and sign your name as the "Seller" EXACTLY the way it appears on the face of the title.

Learn more about signing a title in your state.

We can usually pick up a vehicle without a title. We will just need the registered owner to sign some paperwork for us.

Find detailed answers to all your titles questions in our Car Donation Title Transfer Guide

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