Donate your car in Greater Boston by December 31 and you can generally deduct the vehicle’s sale price on this year’s federal return when you itemize. Here’s how it works: if your vehicle sells for over $500, Revive Rides (benefiting Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3)) mails you IRS Form 1098-C after the sale. Your allowable deduction is the actual gross sale proceeds—not Kelley Blue Book or your estimate. If your car is valued at $500 or less, you’ll get a written acknowledgment and may deduct up to $500 or the fair market value, whichever is lower. Keep your pickup confirmation as proof of the donation date, and always consult a tax professional for advice on your specific situation.
We make year-end giving easy across Greater Boston—from Jamaica Plain, Dorchester, and South Boston to Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Quincy, Malden, Medford, Newton, and beyond. The online form takes about two minutes, non-running cars are fine, and there’s no inspection or repairs needed. We arrange free towing nationwide, with Monday–Saturday dispatch in most areas. You donate, we handle the sale and IRS paperwork, and Heritage for the Blind uses the proceeds to support people who are blind or visually impaired. Donate now, before the New Year’s countdown, and turn the car in your driveway into a same-year tax deduction.
Your year-end donation timeline
1. Lock in your deduction date
2 minutesComplete the quick Revive Rides form or call us before midnight on December 31 from anywhere in Greater Boston. Your donation date is what determines which tax year the deduction applies to, not the later sale date.
2. Schedule free Boston-area pickup
5 minutesPick a convenient day for towing in neighborhoods like Allston, Roxbury, East Boston, Cambridge, or Newton. Most pickups are arranged Monday–Saturday. Non-running, older, or high-mileage vehicles are welcome and need no inspection.
3. Get pickup confirmation as date proof
Same dayWhen the tow truck arrives, you’ll receive a pickup confirmation. Keep this with your records—it shows the donation date for your tax files while you wait for the official acknowledgment or IRS Form 1098-C by mail.
4. We sell the car and mail your tax receipt
Within 30 days of saleRevive Rides manages the sale. If your vehicle sells for more than $500, we mail IRS Form 1098-C within 30 days of the sale. At $500 or under, you receive a written acknowledgment describing your car and the donation.
5. Claim your deduction on Schedule A
At tax filingWhen filing your federal return, use Schedule A to itemize. Your deduction is the gross sale price from Form 1098-C, or up to $500/fair market value with a written acknowledgment. Review everything with your tax professional.
Year-end tax deduction facts
Deduction equals sale price over $500
If your donated vehicle sells for more than $500, your charitable deduction is based on the actual gross sale proceeds. Kelley Blue Book or online value estimates do not control—the final sale price shown on Form 1098-C does.
Vehicles $500 or under use acknowledgment
If your car is valued at $500 or less, Revive Rides sends you a written acknowledgment instead of Form 1098-C. In most cases you may deduct up to $500 or the vehicle’s fair market value, whichever is lower—subject to IRS rules.
Itemizing on Schedule A is required
To benefit from a car donation tax deduction, you must itemize deductions on IRS Schedule A. If you take the standard deduction, the car donation will not reduce your taxable income. Ask your tax preparer which option fits you.
Form 1098-C mailed within 30 days of sale
Once your donated car sells, Revive Rides mails IRS Form 1098-C (for sales over $500) within 30 days of the sale date. Keep it with your records—it documents the sale price and the charity receiving the proceeds for your return.
Donate by Dec 31 for this year’s taxes
The key deadline is the donation date, not the sale date. If your car is donated (picked up or title transferred) by December 31, it generally counts for this tax year, even if it sells and your tax forms arrive in the new year.