Should I be selling my car or donating it?

The Insider Info

Looking to get rid of a used car? You may have considered selling your vehicle, but be prepared for the headache, hassle, and time involved in that.

Donating a vehicle to charity may not put cash directly in your pocket, but you’ll get a sizeable tax deduction instead. It’s also the easiest and quickest way to get rid of a used vehicle.

Why donate?

Easy

Hassle-free process.

No paperwork or negotiation required
Fast & Free

24 hour Quick pickup

No state filing issues or safety concerns
Worthwhile

Tax deductible

Proceeds benefit charity

Selling a Car Isn’t as Easy as It Seems

Selling a car takes a lot more time, energy, and effort than you may originally expect. Here’s some of what you’ll need to do in order to sell your car.

  1. 01Prepare your Paperwork

    You’ll need to put together the title, VIN, a bill of sale, and other documents.

  2. 02Prep the vehicle

    Clean your car, have it inspected for any problems, and determine the market value.

  3. 03Advertise

    Take pictures of your vehicle and pay to advertise it on different platforms.

  4. 04Meet & Negotiate Sale

    You’ll have to meet with multiple prospective buyers and negotiate price and conditions of the sale.

  5. 05Finalize sale

    Settle on a secure payment method, and block your personal information from old car documentation.

 
Three-Step Donation Process

What's Involved in Donating a Car?

Kars4Kids has made donating your used car so easy that you can have it gone in three insanely easy steps.

  1. Tell us about your car by filling out the online form or calling 1.877.527.7454.
  2. You’ll get a call to schedule a pickup time that works for you
  3. Your car gets towed away

That’s all there is to it! You’ll get a tax-deductible receipt emailed to you (or you can request a hard copy) and you’ll be all set to receive your tax deduction.

What do I get when I donate my car to charity?

  • After you call or fill out a form online, you'll get a call within 24 hours to schedule a convenient pickup time. Call one day, have it picked up the next. .
  • We sell your car for maximum price, and you’ll get a tax-deductible receipt.
  • You can rest well knowing that when you donate a car to Kars4Kids charity, your donation benefits all the Kars4Kids charity programs.

Is donating a car worth it?

When you donate your old car to charity, you don’t just support the charity’s cause while getting rid of your vehicle quickly and responsibly. You also get the maximum tax deduction and a free vacation voucher.

How much tax credit do you get for donating a car?

  • If your car sells for less than $500 you can deduct the fair market value, up to $500.
  • If your vehicle sells for more than $500 you can claim the full sale price as your tax deduction.
  • We also like to throw in something special just as a thank you to our donors! Look out for a voucher for a 3-day 2-night hotel stay.

More about the vacation voucher here. More on how charitable donation tax deductions work at Kars4Kids

What is the best organization to donate a car to?

In general, you want to make sure that the charity you are donating to is a legitimate 501(c)(3) non-profit charity, or you won’t be able to deduct your car donation. You'll also want to make sure that the organization has a lot of experience with accepting car donations and that the proceeds actually go to the programs the charity is claiming to support.

• Kars4Kids is a 501(c)(3) charity that’s been around since 1995, a full quarter of a century. They’ve dealt with over 500,000 car donations and process all car donations in-house, allowing the full proceeds of each donation to go directly to their charity programs.

schedule your free pickup

Can you sell a car without a title?

In most cases, it's illegal to sell a car without the title. When you donate to a charity, however, they’ll usually help deal with everything and apply for a new title for you.

How long does it take to sell a car?

Selling a car can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks or longer, unlike donating which takes 24-48 hours.

(If you’ve been reading articles about how to sell your car fast, they probably should have been retitled to selling your car fast-ER.)

How to sell a car that doesn’t run?

Charities like Kars4Kids can accept a vehicle in almost any condition, but you will find the private selling market for non-running vehicles much more challenging. You may have to fix it or sell it for parts, or figure out how to transfer it to a scrapyard.

Donating a car makes a difference.

Popular FAQs

In most cases, Kars4Kids can accept your car even if the registration is expired.
Many car donation programs will take a car regardless of the condition. Here at Kars4Kids, we accept vehicles in almost any condition, whether or not they’re working. Just fill out a form online or call 1.855.527.7454, and our reps will be happy to assist you with the arrangements.
We’ll assess your car so that we can make the most of the donation. The proceeds of the vehicle's sale will benefit Kars4Kids' charity programs and you’ll receive a tax-deductible receipt.
  1. Submit your vehicle donation online or call us 1.855.527.7454.
  2. Within 2-3 weeks, you'll receive an email with information regarding your 3-day 2-night vacation voucher.
  3. Follow the voucher instructions and enjoy your vacation!


For full details visit: Voucher Faqs or Terms and Conditions .

If you have any more questions please check out our FAQ page.

"

My experience was great. No problems whatsoever and I got rid of an old car I no longer wanted and did not have to pay anything plus a got a nice tax write off - over the $500 so they sent me a tax form to use on my tax return. No complaints here. Thank you!
Ellen E. -- California

Trustpilot

Join our 500,000+ donors

Selling a car might seem like a simple way to deal with your used vehicle, but there's a lot more involved than you think. Try hassle-free car donation and get a maximum tax deduction and fast, easy pickup.

Donate your car today