Donate your car in Maine by December 31 and you may claim a 2024 federal tax deduction. With Maine Motors Giveback, your deduction is usually the gross sale price of your vehicle, not Kelley Blue Book. If your car sells for more than $500, Heritage for the Blind (a 501(c)(3), EIN 58-2164446) mails you IRS Form 1098-C within 30 days of the sale. If it sells for $500 or less, you receive a written acknowledgment you can use to deduct up to $500 or the fair market value, whichever is lower. You’ll need to itemize on Schedule A to claim the deduction.
We make year-end giving simple for Maine donors from Portland’s East End and Deering Center to Bangor, Lewiston, Auburn, Augusta, Biddeford, Saco, Brunswick, Sanford, and the Midcoast. Free towing is available across Maine, including rural communities in Aroostook County, Down East towns along Route 1, and lakes region areas near Windham and Sebago. You get a pickup confirmation as proof of your donation date, and we handle the rest. Donate now, beat winter weather, and support services for people who are blind or visually impaired while potentially reducing your 2024 tax bill. Always consult your tax professional about your specific situation.
Your year-end donation timeline
Start the 2-minute donation form or call
2 minutesProvide your contact info, basic vehicle details, and your Maine pickup location (from Kittery to Fort Kent). Submitting the form or calling quickly locks in the process so we can schedule pickup and help you beat the December 31 IRS cutoff.
Choose your pickup time in Maine
5 minutesOur towing partner contacts you, usually within one business day, to set a convenient pickup window Monday–Saturday. We tow from driveways, streets, and lots across Maine, and non-running cars are welcome. No inspection or repairs needed before pickup.
Sign the title and hand over the keys
10 minutesOn pickup day, you sign the title as instructed and give the driver the keys. You’ll receive a pickup confirmation or tow slip—keep this as proof of your donation date, which matters for claiming your deduction for this tax year.
We sell your vehicle and handle IRS paperwork
Within 30 days of saleYour car is sold, usually at auction. If it sells for more than $500, Heritage for the Blind mails IRS Form 1098-C within 30 days of the sale. If $500 or less, you’ll receive a written acknowledgment instead to support your deduction.
Claim your deduction on your tax return
When you fileAt tax time, you or your tax pro use Form 1098-C or the acknowledgment plus your pickup confirmation date. You must itemize on Schedule A to deduct the donation. The deduction amount is based on the gross sale price in most cases.
Year-end tax deduction facts
Deduction usually equals sale price, not book value
For vehicles that sell for more than $500, the IRS generally limits your deduction to the gross sale price we receive, not Kelley Blue Book. Your Form 1098-C will show this sale price for your records and tax filing.
How IRS Form 1098-C works
If your donated car sells for over $500, Heritage for the Blind mails you IRS Form 1098-C within 30 days after the sale. This official form reports the sale price and is what you or your tax preparer uses to support the deduction.
Cars at $500 or below use written acknowledgment
If the vehicle sells for $500 or less, you receive a written acknowledgment instead of Form 1098-C. In that case, the IRS lets you deduct the smaller of $500 or the car’s fair market value, if you itemize on Schedule A.
You must itemize on Schedule A
Car donations are claimed as charitable contributions on Schedule A of your federal Form 1040. If you take the standard deduction instead of itemizing, you generally cannot claim an additional deduction for your donated vehicle.
Donate by December 31 for this year’s deduction
For IRS purposes, the donation date is when you transfer the vehicle—usually the pickup date shown on your tow confirmation. Donate and have it picked up by December 31 to potentially deduct it on this year’s tax return.