พฤษภาคม 2009

My friend wants to donate a car to another friend but wants a tax write off? How does he go about doing this ?

So he donates a car to another friend or stranger HE doesn't want to donate to a charity but to another person. Can he still get a tax write off? If so what does he need to have ? Forms?Deeds?Receipt? What does the need to have to prove he gave the car free for donation to the other person so that he can get tax write off in VA

He can't. It has to be a non-profit organization to get a tax write-off.

That is known as a gift and it is not deductible. The tax code allows deductions for charitable contributions because congress wants to encourage charity, but congress doesn't care if you give a gift to a friend and so no tax deduction is allowed.

You can only get a deduction for charitable contributions to non-profit organizations, then it needs to be in "good" shape.

uh...the only way is if the person is a charitable org.

period.

Otherwise all car transfer's would be "donations"

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Is it legal to setup an online account for donations for a personal car?

I fell asleep behind the wheel on a country road, and woke up when my car went flying throught the air (Drove through the ditch) I lost a wheel and completly desrtoyed my '98 Malibu.

Is it legal to make a website with pay pal to take donations from random strangers? Could donors still make a tax write off?

You can take the donations.

The donors can NOT write it off on their taxes (you are not a registered charity)

You will have to report the income on your taxes.

yes it's legal..no tax write off unless you are a legitimate non-profit org.

It's legal as long as you state exactly what it is for and where the money is going. No tax deductions however since you are not a charitable organization.

Oh come on now. That's nothing. I owned a business and one of my employees went in on a Sunday when we were closed and stole everything in the business. The police said there was no crime committed and refused to go after him (the cops in this town are lazy as hell). I'm out thousands of dollars and it wasn't my fault.

Now, who is more deserving, you or me?

It is not illegal, but they can't take a tax write off because you are NOT a non-profit organization. Why would random strangers want to give you money?

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3 Tax Questions : Lease Refund, Car Insurance premium and Donations:?

1- I turned my leased car in and received a refund, do I need to

show it on my taxes when I file, and in which section?

2- Can you claim car insurance premiums? ( I couldnt find anything addressing that on tax slayer)

3- I made a donation to salvation army - about 15 bags of clothes and shoes - they gave me a receipt but they did not itemize -or specify a dollar amount, How should I claim it ?

Thanks

1 - No

2 - No

3 - You determine the value. Donations go on Schedule A (Itemized Deductions). If you go over $500, there are more forms to fill out (Form 8283 ?????). Two things to keep in mind. One, used clothing is worth much less than you think and can only deduct its value, not its original cost. Two, donations only get you a tax benefit if you itemize. If you are not paying on a mortgage, you probably won't have enough to itemize and you will get no benefit from the donation....besides clean closets.

1. Unless it was deducted as a business expense (not just claiming flat amount for milege) it is not considered income and not taxed.

2. Unless you are closely tracking all vehicle expenses, using the vehicle for a business, etc. why would insurance premiums be deductible? If you are using this vehicle for business (other than communting to/from work), there are a lot of qualifiers and forms - check IRS site. If you are deducting and/or being reimbursed a flat milege amount, then it is not deductible since its cost is already covered in the milege reimvursement. (Personally, I recommend the milege reimbursement unless you are using the vehicle almost exclusively for work and have it's ownership under the business).

3. You have a receipt. That is all you need.

Side note: This is not the place to ask these unless you are looking for general ideas. Research the IRS site and/or tax accountant.

1. No

2 No, if it's your personal car. If it's a business car, then probably yes, at least in part.

3. You can't, unless it's itemized. If it's itemized, then you could get dollar amounts from their website showing about what the items would be worth.

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Were can i find a donation for a car for someone who is disabled?

IT DEPENDS ON WHAT HAPPEN TO THEM

IF IT WAS FROM THE SERVICE , I WOULD SAY GO TO THE LOCAL VFW , OTHER THAN THAT I CAN'T HELP

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What things do I have to bring to a car wash??

I'm part of a group holding a car wash. What things do we need and are there any tips in raising more money? Should we do a donation car wash or 5 dollar car wash?

It depends on if you really need the cash.

Tips on car wash:

Work fast

clean good no dirty on cars

be careful or else you might scratch something

5 dollar is not bad but is it enough?

not many people trust other people with their cars unless you are famous for doing car wash

so start with some neighborhood cars then work your way up.

soap

rags

towels

sponges

windex

paper towels

bottled water

soap, bucket, sponge and water. $5. is plenty.

try a sponge, bucket and water that usually works

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When get 500 deductible for giving car away to donation, do i get 500 bucks back in taxes?

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Where can I find a cheap used car in Tampa, FL?

I'm looking for a car donation....I'm .in a very needy situation and looking for someone who would love to donate a car or tell me where I can possibly get a real cheap car. I'm a college student and really need this car.

Thanks

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Can someone clarify car donations to charity in IRS terms?

I work for the YMCA and we are trying to figure out how to handle selling donated cars within the guidelines of the IRS.

The charity must tell the donor what the car sold for and the donor can deduct that amount.

If the charity receives a car as a donation and then sells the car, they issue a 1098-C to the donor with a letter thanking them for their gift. The taxpayer then uses the 1098-C as the amount donated on their taxes. (This is different from a few years ago when people estimated the car's value and put that on their taxes. Congress got annoyed that a car that pulled in $600 at auction was getting someone a $900 tax break because the person claimed it was worth $6000.)

To properly complete the 1098-C, the donor MUST give you their name, address and SSN/ITIN. You can request this on a form W-9 or any substitute form. (If they don't give you the number, they can't deduct anything.) Besides the copies you give the donor, you send one copy to the IRS each year.

If the charity receives a car as a donation and then keeps the car or sells it directly to a needy family for less than it's worth, see the instructions to the form.

The YMCA is a charitable Organization under Section 501 ( c ) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Look at Form 990, Line 7h

the link is below

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f990.pdf

and look at the instructional link below.

I think your question is more on how to report the revenue and how to calculate the basis of the donated asset. For basis questions, look at publication 551 The basis of donated assets is very simple indeed.

The answerer who mentioned the 1098 is correct. If the value is under $500, you don't have to report to the IRS, but then the donor can't claim over $500 either.

(I am going to pick up a donated car tomorrow.)

Feel free to e-mail me with any questions.

Please see a CPA about this. The rules have gotten VERY tough for car donations in the past 2 years and this is an absolute favorite audit target for the IRS.

Don't go to a CPA, go to a tax professional! It is a delicate situation and needs a great deal of documentation.

This site is the best I can do. I hope this helps!

http://www.efile.com/tax-deduction/income-deduction/charitable-contributions.asp

You give receipt to donor for what you actually receive for vehicle at auction. Special form to fill out.

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Where can I donate a car in Alaska?

My Husband and I have a 89 Subaru and we want to donate it to charity.

It seams that many of the car donation sites do not operate in Alaska (Anchorage).

Do you know which charity site operates also "up here"?

Thank you so much,

Miriam

There is a list of car donation sites active in Alaska over here: http://www.compare-car-donation.com/state/alaska/

I'm not sure you can donate your car over there but it will point you to all the relevant car donation sites.

I'm sure you could donate it to the King Career Center.

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Car donation: no deduction if sold "for parts" by the charity?

We recently donated a car with a private sale FMV of around $1700. The charity (Special Olympics) sent a 3rd-party shop to pick up the car; they gave us a 'provisional' receipt (Form1098) for $500, and told us that they would send us the adjusted one once the car sells. We just found out from them that they have decided to sell the car "for parts", and they claim that this means we cannot deduct any more than the value of $500 already on the temporary 1098 which they gave us when they picked the car up.

Is this correct? I have looked at the IRS publication 526, and cannot find any special rules governing value in a "for parts" sale. We are feeling very screwed at this point -- the shop has our car and title, and we're only getting the deduction of $500 (which translates to probably $200 in our pockets). We feel like the car has essentially been stolen from us.

Is the only solution here to never donate a car? Anyone else have any similar experience? Advice? Thanks.

I suspect they only got $500 (or less) for the parts. Otherwise they would give you a 1098-C showing the amount they received.

They would be inclined to do so because a) they are required to and b) it is generally in their best interest to keep donors happy by providing them with the larger tax deduction.

Of course there is the possibility that they were too lazy to account for it.

Welcome to the real world of car donations. The law changed a few years ago so that you could only deduct the true value of the car instead of claiming an inflated value as many tax filers used to do. The charity usually gets cash from sale of the car, whether as a used car or as salvage parts. They pay the company some fixed percentage and you get a receipt for the actual value that the processing company obtained. Nobody is getting cheated unless fraud is involved.

I'm sorry to hear about your "surprise." Missed expectations suck, don't they?

In general, unless the car is very new, they will sell it as scrap. The trouble involved with finding a buyer for a $1700 car, or even a $5000 car, is not worth it to the charity. A scrap buyer will always take a car, and fast.

We donated our truck, which ran well, and only got a $500 deduction. But we didn't feel bad about it. It also helped that when we went to the charity, they warned us that most of the donated cars are scrapped, unless they are really new or classic.

If your goal was to help the charity, then you have, and you can justly feel good about it. However, if your goal was to get the best personal return for your car, it would have been better to sell the car on craigslist yourself, and optionally, donate all or part of the cash proceeds to a charity. That's a little more work, of course.

Your $1,700 car may be the price a used car dealer would get for it on a lot after it was detailed out and with an up to date smog clearance but not what it was worth as is. Go to Kelley Blue Book on the net at kbb.com and check out the differences in value between dealers, private party sales and trade ins in various conditions.

If the issue comes up again, consider selling the car yourself and giving the cash to the charity.

I have given two parts cars to charity and was sufficiently happy just to have them take them off my hands.

I volunteer in a car donation program. We distribute 80% of the cars we receive to low income families, so the donor can take the private FMV.

However, we are sometimes given a car the donor says is in good shape, but our volunteer mechanics discover that the frame is rusted out so the car is not safe and not worth repairing, or there are multiple major mechanical problems the donor wasn't aware of (or chose to ignore). Those we junk. That is fairly rare, because usually the donor knows the car and is honest about its condition. We also get cars the donor knows we are junking (selling for parts).

The rule is that if the charity sells the car, you get what they sold it for as a deduction, no matter whether the sale was for junk, at auction, or to someone in a private party deal, and the charity must tell you the amount if over $500 and you want to claim it.

All that said, I have the impression that charities that get donated cars for fund-raising purposes tend to be more concerned with getting the money fast than with getting the most possible money.

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Car donation question!?

I donated my car 3 months ago and the ppl who took it i knew them by searching online ,,,donate4kids after calling them many many time to get a receipt they sent me a crappy paper ....doesnt look like an official form ,,

I don't know if i should go and suw them for this?

Or is this is normal to just get a peice of paper and not f1098 form?

please advice!

To be honest with you, they sound a little shaky. I see that their website says "tax deductible receipt" and says they're a 501(c)3 registered organization, but I don't find them listed on guidestar.com, which is kind of the bible for listing registered non-profits, and don't find it on the online search of IRS publication 78 (see http://apps.irs.gov/app/pub78), under either Donate For Kids or donate4kids. And their website says you get a free vacation along with your donation of your car - by tax law, if you get anything in return for a donation, you have to subtract its value from the value of the donation. Also, it doesn't sound like they followed the IRS rules with the "receipt" they gave you. I'm also a little suspicious of the "email us - phone system is down" statement on their website.

Maybe it's legit and I'm just being overly suspicious, but there are a lot of red flags here. You could call the IRS and ask them if this is a registered charity, maybe it just isn't showing on the IRS website's online search.

By the way, you might get more answers to this if you posted it under the taxes category.

It does not sound Legal and the IRS will require a 1098 or some type of Official Receipt. I think you have been taken.

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This texas cars for kids thing has anyone actually got a car from this company. or donation and what are the r

equirements in order to get a car?

I'm here in Texas too and I've never heard of anybody getting a car from these people. I believe the charity takes vehicle donations to sell at an auction to rase money and then let people claim a certin amount on their taxes. I don't think they actually sell the car to the public because they would have to have a dealers license.

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Where's the best junkyard in Bay Area, CA to have my car taken to? Can I get money from them for parts?

I totaled my car this morning and the tow truck driver said a junkyard would probably still give me good money for it. Is this true, or am I better of just giving it to a car donation center and getting it out of my driveway? It's an 85 BMW 325e and I live in the Bay Area. If the tow to a junkyard is going to be more than what I can get for it, I'd rather just donate it but thought I'd look into what I can do to get something out of it.

Thanks!

put it on craigslist and ask 750.00 for it

make some phone calls and see who will pay and pick it up from you. save yourself time and hassle that way by just calling. also call a bmw dealership or check and see if you can find someone who wants it. bmw parts always sell for a lot even used

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How i receive car donation?

i wish car ford focus

HAHA! You think someone is going to donate a car to you??????

just sale out ur beauty and get mony

If you find out, please let me know.

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

Donation of a car?

I am a 42 yr old lady and I ride my bicycle. I am hoping that some generous person can donate a car so I do not have to ride my bike in the winter again. I am financially struggling so I can not afford to buy one. I live in SLC, Utah. So if any one has a car that runs and would like to get rid of it, I would GREATLY appreciate the donation.

Many non profit orginazitions do this for folks. Ask churches as well. Good luck.

good luck ive been trying to get a car donation for three years now i have to small children and no public transportation in my town we walk.

why don't you visit your local politician or newspapers? why would you ask total strangers to give you anything at all? how does anyone know you are telling the truth anyways?

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What charity will take my car that does not run as a donation?

St. Vincent De Paul or Google "donations" in your town. We donated two cars already and St. V. is who we called

Salvation army in some places

I would check your local penny saver, mothers against drunk driving and St. Vinny's in san diego, ca takes non running cars

In our community, the Commission for the Blind accepts cars, as well as Youth Rehabilitation Services.

I'm thinking if you call City Hall, someone there may have the answer for you :)

Leave it on the streets of Hawaii(Mauii).

I'm Positive someone will take it.

Promise! :) hope this helped

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

Car donation? we are non-profit institution?

If you're a 501 (c) 3, then you accept it, give a donor letter then sell it for the proceeds or keep it in service.

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How do car donations for tax breaks work and are they worth it?

i'm wondering if it would be better to sell my old truck or take a write off.

If you donate it to an eligible organization, they'll give you a form after they sell it showing how much they sold it for - that will be your deduction amount IF you itemize. If you don't itemize, there's no deduction.

Your tax savings would be a percent of the deduction if you can take one, the percent being your tax bracket. For most people that's 15%, so if the car is sold for $2000 the tax savings would be $300.

You're better off financially selling it yourself, then if you want to donate some of the money to the organization, go ahead but don't donate the car just for the tax savings, since it won't be much.

It is always better to sell it out right.

If you itemize, you can deduct charitable contributions. How much these benefit you depends on your tax bracket. For example, if you are in the 25% bracket, a $1000 only nets you $250 on your taxes.

Plus....there are now additional rules and restrictions when you donate a vehicle.

Sell it and donate the cash instead. The amount of your deduction is limited to the actual sales proceeds.

The tax laws have changed so if you want to take a deduction greater than $500, you'll need a receipt from the non-profit for the amount that they actually sold it for.

In certain counties in California, if its old enough (mid 80's cars qualify), the county will pay you $650 for the vehicle to get it off the road.

You usually get more money for a vehicle by selling it yourself as opposed to taking the writeoff. Of course, then you have to do the work of listing, cleaning, and selling the vehicle.

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How to avoid the scam when I donate a car to charity? How to find a real charity orgnization that accepts car?

I want to donate a car. I heard that some used car dealers take car donations and make profits from it. They donate only a small fraction of what they get to charity, and keep the big chunk. How to avoid them, and donate to a real charity orgnization?

Goodwill and the Kidney Foundation accepts cars as donations.

The former uses proceeds from sale to help make disadvantaged (displaced workers, physically-challenged) more self-sufficient through such ways as job training/placement programs. The latter helps those who need kidney dialysis and to fund kidney research. It's admirable what you want to do.

If you do not check a company before entering into a transaction, you could lose your money, time and credibility. Some widely used resources are the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) and the national fraud center (www.fraud.org) these days, you can easily find out more about a company using the internet in a few minutes. From a company's website, you can details about its ownership, how old the company really is and feedback from the company's customers.

You can find more detailed information about a company at http://tinyurl.com/gtb89

May i suggest you go to Guide Dogs for the Blind (or your local equivalent).

They would be delighted to accept such an donation, and could really do with the funds.

In the UK its: http://www.gdba.org.uk

JJ.

if you want to be genourus give it to me i live in wyoming and the winter w/out a car is pretty hard also have kids to transport

Give it to a needy family instead.

The kidney foundation does, gives you a write off on taxes...Good Luck...

Depending on your area there are organizations that help needy families in our area its called Love, Inc. they are really good about getting the car to the right person and they dont make a dime... Im sure there are lots of Katrina victims out there needing transportation call the local red cross and have them point you in the right direction.

I think that's what that Mother Waddles is for.

It's a good and legitimate question. There are a few online services, one of which I'll post below, that is a guide to legitimate charities. There is also a guide that rates each charity's ability to use the donated money wisely. In other words, some have to use money for alot of overhead costs, and other charities are more efficient. All this is researchable.

Try this for example: http://www.charitynavigator.org/

dear sir i just read you queation and i just posted a question before i read this we are katrina victims and we lost our car in the storm we had 6 ft of water in our home and car in new orleans we are in mississippi now but after the storm we bought a ford car and we were haveing trouble we put it in the ford dealership got it out and 2 weeks later it blew the motor my husband does work and want to work but we live in a rural area so the nearest job is 11 miles awaywe dont know anyone here so we cant do what we need too.we think someone is burning a black candle under us we are good people .but our luck:we have none god bless just for reading this ty im robin

Salvation Army or Goodwill takes donation

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How do you get a yard sign or car sticker for McCain/Palin campaign? Do you have to make a donation? ?

Should I be able to get one somewhere locally?

Go to McCain site on line and find the nearest McCAin Campaign headquarters and they will give you a yard sign or a bumper sticker free.

Your local Republican party will have them, for free.

If you have a wall or fence that faces a public road, you may get one without asking for it.

I live in a solidly Democratic area. The local Democrats put their signs up on my own privately owned fence every election, and have passed an ordinance that makes it illegal to take down someone else's signs even from your own private property.

Richard

I got a sticker for 1 buck on johnmccain.com

I paid $25 for my PALIN POWER! T shrit :D

I went to Signazon.com to get my McCain political yard signs! It was great because you can customize your own political signs and magnetics for any candidate.

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Car-donation for non-profit institution?

I don't exactly understand what you want to know about it? Can yuou be more specific?

i have done this twice. its for a good cause. and some can actualy fix the cars if they have problems. some donate the cars to needy families and some auction them for their non-profit institutions. i have been donating them to Amvets. they will pick it up from wherever it is and send you the tax info you need to laim it as a deduction.

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Where can I donate my car for someone who needs a car, and is not going to sell it?

I just bought a new car. I decided to not trade in my old car because it just wasn't worth it. I want to donate it to someone who really needs a car but cannot afford it. I found out that charities that take car donations actually sell the cars for the money. I'm against this in principle because the auction place or some car dealer is going to make a profit, not me, not the charity. So is there an organization out there that takes cars to give them to people in need?

church

I really in need for a car to get to work. With what I'm making, buying a car is big deal. You can donate it to me or to a church.

I believe the Kidney Society (I do not know exactly what it is called) takes them, and will give you a tax deduction for giving it to them. I am pretty sure they give it away, too. Keep in mind that in some states, it is illegal to just give a car away. So they may have to charge a small amount for it. I am sure they will appreciate your donation nonetheless, and you are doing a good thing by donating it and not wanting profit to be made.

Any Good will stores haven't you seen the commercial?

are you serious coz i need one

you can contact the social services-human services office in your area and they may have some suggestions, you can also contact your local women's or homeless shelter. The only thing is it needs to be "legal" as in current inspection and tags and the damages/worn out things can't be too expensive for the organization to fix. Another good place is the Salvation Army- just contact the main office not the thrift stores- hope this helps, and God bless you for thinking of others

You can donate it to the Circle of Hope they give the cars to women who are living with them and hiding from abusive relationships. A church will also take it.

try checking out www.freecycle.org they have various sites depending on where you are where you can post items. only requirement that i can see is it must be free

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Car Donation Organization?

How much time car donation organization takes to pick up my vehicle?

They usually give you a morning or afternoon schedule and call you when they are in front of your place.

It depends upon the charity organization. Normally 2-5 business days.

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Anyone know of REPUTABLE tax deductable car donation org's in Missouri??

Have you called places like Salvation Army and Red Cross?

If you donate a car, they'll give you a form saying what they sold it for, and that's what you can deduct as a charitable contribution if you itemize.

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Car Donation, please help?????

I was planning on donating my car to a charity called Kars4Kids, however when i was doing some research, i found that they may not be legitimate. How do I find out if they are worth donating to? If anyone has any experience with them please let me know, thanks!

No personal experience with them.

However, to check any charitable organization, go to the BBB Wise Giving Alliance website (www.give.org) click on "Charity Reports", and it gives a list of organizations. I put the link below that goes straight to the list page.

It gives very good information and rates the organizations on 20 different standards.

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Best car donation program in New York?

Looking to find a car program that's legit and reliable (and of course, to get the max refund). I see alot of ads on the radio but I'm not sure who to go with. For the record, I have a '95 Camry.

Well you just search in google - you will find many donation programs. And make sure where ever you go that organization is locally well known and have all the certificates.

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Know good car donation organizations (Bay Area)?

I understand there are some really good and really bad organizations that do car donations for non-profits. Is anyone familiar with the ones that are the most favorable to the non-profit? (Also, what is the effect of the recent federal legislation in this area?)

My suggestion would be to donate to a local technical college for students to work and learn on.

i dont have a car and am in need of one

CAN'T SAY THAT I DO

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Car donation is a good idea?

I am thinking of donating my used car.

Do you think it's a good idea or bad?

For more details about car donation.

Check here:

http://www.my-donation.com/car-donation/

I've done this four times and was satisfied each time. I donated mine to specific charities and was happy to see that charity benefit. The last time I donated a car, it ended up getting auctioned on eBay and I followed the auction. The final price was higher than book value, so I printed that page out and used the auction price as the basis for my deduction on my tax return. The sale price was about $500 higher than book value, so it worked out well.

I Think that is a great idea if you can do that . By the way My dad could use a nice free car.

I've heard one horror story from a car donor, because the group to which he donated never bothered to actually do the title transfer paperwork when they found a new home for the car, so he was getting bombarded with tickets and threatening letters accusing him of stuff he didn't do because it was done in that car which used to be his.

But really, that's just a matter of vetting the company you're donating to, and hounding them to make sure all the paperwork is done properly. Like I said, I've only heard one horror story. =)

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Itemized deduction question for tax preparers. car donation?

i donated my car in february of 2005 and i got back a document stating i can deduct 1300 bucks. my accountant is saying that since i dont have a home / mortgage i cant deduct it. he also says i dont meet the minimum 10 thousand dollar deduction. whatever that means. is this true?

For married couples where both spouses are under the age of 65, you have to have more than $10,000 in itemized expenses before you exceed the standard deduction.

In most cases, it is the mortgage interest that will put people over the standard deduction. If you have additional charitable contributions, property taxes paid on your home or personal property in 2005, sales tax amounts from large purchases in 2005, such as cars, motorcycles, or boats or any state income taxes paid in 2005 (cannot take both sales taxes and state income taxes...must choose one or the other), then you may have a chance at itemizing.

Hope this helps, and Good Luck.

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How do i go about recieving a car donation in west virginia?

SINGLE-WORKING MOTHER IN DESPERATE NEED OF A VEHICLE FOR WORK AND SCHOOL

Go to your local parish or place of worship. Where I live they do that all the time. Call your local welfare office or maybe look in you telephone book for agencies that can hellp you.

Good Luck

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I am sure all of you have heard of these car donation places where you donate your car for a tax write off.?

Anyone know of someone who was given a car by any of these companies? And how would you go about trying to help someone who is in need get a car from one of them?

I do know someone who received one of these cars. He was a recovering heroin user, with 2 kids and was beginning some college courses to help himself. He needed transportation to get to classes. I believe the car was actually given through a local church group, though he was not a member. Call your local Salvation Army or St. Vincent Depaul centers. and one of them should be able to help you with the information you seek.

I brough a car, once use car lot, found out its from the kidney fondation,donated old car but only had 34,000 miles paint faded storage away,guese that way their go.

I gave mine to "Songs of Life", you donate your car, pick a song, they play it on the radio, and donate the money from your car to a sick child, I never picked the song, it does'nt matter, I'm doing this with all of my used cars from now on, I HATE childhood disease more than ANYTHING else in the world, nobody should be cut down in the dawn of life, it's NOT fair !

That isn't how it works.

They get the car as a donation to help their own charity cause. Unless their specific cause is "cars for people who don't want to buy their own cars", the can't just give them away. They resell/auction them off and the cash is used for things like kidney care, kids' cancer centers, or retraining people to reenter the workplace.

You might want to check into where their resale lots are. I've actually bought two vehicles from Goodwill, and the one turned out to be a wonderful car that cost only a few hundred and lasted me through college.

My dad donated a van to one place to get the tax write-off.

I think the companies who get the cars fix them up and sell them in order to get the cash. I've also seen the Salvation Army sell a few cars locally. I would recommend just calling one of the places up.

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Car donation site (I do not want to donate, want to get a car)?

Does anyone know the site where people donate cars to individuals if they come pick them up. It is similar to freecycle but it deals with cars. I have viewed the site but lost it. Pls help. Thx.

There is no legitimate site that truly gives away cars to needy people. You could advertise that you are truly in need of a car and will use it to support yourself and your family ....craigslist.org and kijiji.com will run the ad.

Legitimate charities generally sell the cars that are donated to them. They then use the proceeds for their programs.

Hahahaha..Yup..Ya better stay off that site...You could get sick(VIRUS)NOTHING IS FREE!!!!!Except the viruses and bugs you can get for your computer!!!

Let me know when you find it. I could use that too.

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

Can anyone recommend a charity for car donation? I want the highest percentage of the value to go for their ca

This website offers several different recommendations for car donation organizations and gives a brief summary of how each one works. Maybe these different options will be helpful to you...

http://www.power-of-giving.com/auto-charity.html

I hope you find the help you're looking for.

I donated my car to the oakland habitat for humanity where I live because they had a 95% donation value, which I think is important for a charity to do.

This site has a lot of car donation charity reputation reviews: http://donate-things.org

If you really want the charity to get the most money, sell the car yourself and donate the cash.

If you give the car to the charity, they will generally sell it at an auction and send you a 1098-C for the amount they got for it. Used cars go for very little at these auctions.

Goodwill Industries.

Catholic Charities.

Meals on Wheels.

The Cancer Foundation.

Their always looking for transportation.

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

Which car donation company gives you partial price for the car and half for tax write offs. ?? In fact, which?

In fact, which one is the best one tht gives you maximum offer you can get for your car

I'm pretty sure its goodwill..Even when you take cloths or goods to them they give you a slip for your taxes right on the spot..

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

What is the best car company to ask a car donation from?

For used cars, you might go to local dealerships and see if they have any older trade ins that they've gotten lately. They typically sell these cars to local used car dealers or junk them, but they might donate one as a write off. I don't have any suggestions if you're looking for a new car, though.

It appears that the question period has expired. If you have received an answer that meets your needs, please choose one of those as a 'best answer.'

If you haven't received a good answer for your question, you may want to consider the following,

1) Re-post your question. Newer questions get more activity on Yahoo! Answers than old ones.

2) If you do re-post your question, consider why it wasn't answered the first time. Could it be more specific? Could it be worded better? Were there grammatical or spelling errors? Was it in the best category?

If it doesn't seem likely that re-posting your question will help you, then here's a listing of my favorite 'answer sites'. Maybe one of them will help you.

Answers.com http://www.answers.com/

Bartleby http://www.bartleby.com/

Yahoo Reference http://education.yahoo.com/reference/

HowStuffWorks http://www.howstuffworks.com/

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Since I really haven't answered your question, it is not necessary to give me any points.

Regards.

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

Are car donation places a good route to go?

I'm California resident that would like to get the most of his vehicle.

If you dont have negative equity perhaps but you will not see a dime and only get money off your taxes for the next yr. They will send you a reciept of what they actually sell it for not what the blue book is. Sell it to carmax and get a check, if you really want to donate just write the check over to the charity.

A Childrens Hospital would be your best bet!

Financially, the donation is not as good a deal as it has been in years past. The IRS has tightened their rules on tax deductions for donations, so you won't get as big a deduction as you might have two years ago. That said, it is still a way to help your favorite charity. However, I would likely sell the car myself and donate the proceeds, which are 100% tax deductible, and no third party gets a cut.

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Are there any car donation facilities in Montreal area that also offer tax deductions on the car?

The Kidney-Car program of the Kidney Foundation of Canada aims to collect old vehicles in order to raise funds to finance the various programs of The Kidney Foundation of Canada: research on kidney disease, patient services and the promotion of organ donation.

The operation is simple: if you wish to get rid of your old car, call the KIDNEY-CAR number of your region and make an appointment with the recycler taking part in the program. The vehicle is towed free of charge, and the Foundation will send an income tax receipt to the donor.

Call Kidney-Car in Monreal:

Â· MontrÃ©al, South Shore, Laurentians, LanaudiÃ¨re, Vaudreuil-Soulanges and MontÃ©rÃ©gie

Â· ÃŽle-Perrot, Vaudreuil, Dorion, Hudson, Rigaud, Valleyfield, RiviÃ¨re-Beaudette and towns near the Ontarian border : (450) 456-3708

Â· LanaudiÃ¨re, Laurentians, High Laurentians, Ste-Agathe, Ste-AdÃ¨le, St-Jovite and Mont-Tremblant : 1 800 282-2832

Â· MontÃ©rÃ©gie (Delson, Napierville, Hemmingford, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu and St-Philippe) : (450) 245-1153

Â· MontrÃ©al Metropolitain, Laval, South Shore, Low Laurentians, Oka, Mirabel, St-JÃ©rÃ´me : (514) 325-7346

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

What should I do? The Salvation Army will not take my car for donation.?

I have an old Taurus station wagon. I decided to donate it because it is really old now, and it's leaking transmission oil. My mechanic had offered to sell it for me for around $1,000, so I topped off the transmission oil and drove it to his garage.

Now he says he thinks there is something wrong with the transmission, but it would not be worth it to fix it since he would have to take it apart just to figure out what is wrong. So he suggested that I try to donate it so I can at least get a tax deduction.

The problem is that I called the Salvation army. They said they've had a lot of problems selling Taurus cars with questionable transmissions, so they won't take it unless the transmission is ok.

I'd hate to take it to the junk yard because they don't pay much. The body of the car is in great shape. If I could donate it to charity I might be able to deduct $200 from my taxes.

Should I try another charity? Or should I just declare defeat and junk it?

I know what they mean about having trouble selling Taurus cars with questionable transmissions. Its a lemon with transmissions. My mom had a 1989 Ford Taurus that blew a transmission before 60,000 miles in 1994. My brother got the car in 2002 with 102,000 miles, and the transmission that was put in the car in 1994 was failing. He then donated the car to a charity. Everyone i know that had a Ford Taurus had their transmissions replaced. The transmissions were so bad that i seen ads from rebuild shops that had special on Taurus, and Sable vehicles. I would try a different charity. If the car runs and drives, i dont see a problem with another charity taking it. You can also sell the car to a small corner car lot, or place an ad in the newspaper for auto parts. I think the newspaper is the best way to rid you of something fast. I see plenty of people that put their cars for sale on the street , but they dont sell. They should just place an ad in the newspaper, and up the price of
the car to makeup the cost of placing an ad to get rid of it. I know what you mean about not wanting to junk the car because you feel its worth more than junk price. Ive been in your situation before. Good Luck!

Why would you want to dump that on a charity? They need good, clean usable products, not something they have to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on towing, repairing, cleaning, then licensing, insuring and titling a piece of junk. You get a tax benefit, they get the bill. Hmmm.

Fix the car and let the mechanic sell it for you.

I would probably look to see if there are any other charities that would be willing to take your Taurus. There has to be one out there. You could try Goodwill, NPR, etc.

Try a diferent Charity. I had a Sable sister car of the Taurus and the lung assocation took it.

just give it to the junk yard, and stop trying to make money off of that piece of metal junk.

If you have any local technical schools for high school or adults in mechanics, they may be happy to take it. I am sure they could benefit greatly.

take it to the junk yard and get 100.oo for it.

SELL IT FOR $9,500 TO AN ILLEGAL ALIEN!

HEY! LOOK IT'S MY TWIN BROTHERR ABOVE!

wtf, push it off a cliff !

i can't understand why they never took it.

any way yeah try another charity.

Car donation charities are a scam. They advertise any car in any condition, and they are supposed to give you a receipt for tax deduction for charity.

The truth is they only want cars in running condition that is less than four years old.

I found this out because I tried to donate a car once and not a single place would call me back and this is what I found out.

go to Craigslist.com. and list it FREE, someone maybe, could use the parts off of it..

Good luck and God Bless, {:-)

LMFAO! that kinda sucks huh?

find a high school or vocational and donate to the auto shop or buy the parts and have them fix it and then you can keep it good gas milage is a powerfully good thing.

A lot of junk yards will buy your old car for $100.00 or so .I suggest you stop telling people about the transmission if you want to get rid of it.

Sell it to pick and pull for $50 dollars or find a needy person on the street to give it to.

try another charity, or you can sell it than give the money away to whoever charity

give it to the Cancer Association or the Kiddney Association

give it the quick fix and sell it to a sucker

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

Looking for a donation car in South NJ?

I have searched "car donation nj" amoungst other keywords relevant but im only seeing site that are asking for donations. I am looking for a program that would donate a car to me. I'm with children in a low-income bracket stuck in a catch 22. Need a car to work, need to work to get a car. Anyone know of active charities and or sites i can try? ty

Try the Salvation Army. I know they accept cars as donations, but I don't know the criteria for how they distribute them.

Good luck.

Try local churches.

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

Excuse me, are any of you aware of whether or not there are any websites for car donation? (I get, not give.)

Greetings, Im a disabled person on social security, and have med bills out the ying yang, my friends single mother got a car from a church for charity, are there any other organizations like this possiably online at the moment ?. .

any assistance would be phenomenal .

I live in the state of Pennsylvania & The American Kidney Assoc. here has a program to get disabled people transportation. Try those guys out! good Luck! I hope you get a Sweet ride.

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

How can a Charity make $ on a "crap" CAR DONATION?

If the car is a total mess and doesn't even run and I can't even GIVE it away ?

It doesn't matter what condition the car is in, they got it free. Even if they sell it to a junk yard for $100 that is a good cash donation they can use for things they really need.

Hi smercly

Very good points made by Lover not a fighter.

Also the charity can get scrap value for the vehicle, and spend it for whatever they need.

charger

(1) they don't take EVERY car

(2) they some times sell the car for parts.

(3) they often FIX them and sell them

(4) sometime they FIX them and give them to single mothers, etc.

So in the case of (4) it isn't always about making money.

Good luck.......

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

Serious question about Tax Back(car Donation)(and i was in school)?

So i donated my car last year when the transmission blew. my total tax money from federal and state was about 4400 dollars and i was in school and have that slip that should give me full back. My question is the tax paper from the car donation came back and said it was sold for 2000 dollars. if i already was going to get full back will i get just 4400. or 6400 or somehere inbetween. Please let me know.

If you itemize your deductions, which I suspect you do not, the contribution of a car that sold for $2,000 would reduce your tax due and increase any refund by $2,000 times your marginal tax rate which is probably 15% or $300. If you take standard deduction, it will have zero effect.

If you donated the car, you get full market value (what it's worth with blow engine) as a write-off. What the car sold for is irrevelant.

If you itemize, you'd get a deduction of $2000. If you don't itemize, and as a student you probably don't, you get no tax benefit from the donation.

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Are there any e-mail addresses to send a plee for a car donation from ford company to myself?

I am a single mother looking for a car donation to help keep me in school

try talking to a local dealer or go to www.ford.com and see if there is a contact us area

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

Could someone help me with some car donation questions?

I'm looking in a site which compares car donations at http://www.compare-car-donation.com and I see on % given to charity NET values and GROSS values of the proceeds eventually ending up getting to the charity.

What is the difference between these two values?

Which car donation site should I choose?

Gross value usually is the total amount not accounting for certain business expenses.

Net value is the actual amount left after paying all of the business expenses.

Net value is what really counts.

I'm a volunteer with the Make-A-WISH Foundation and our favorite car donation company is Cars 4 Causes.

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Does anyone know or experience a car donation company that accept car donation and give some cash for it?

I would like to donate a car and comerical vehicle which is taxi to a car donation that will benefit some charities. I would like to know who done it or know someone done it.

there is a place salvation army but only can use it at income tax time

I have given vehicles to VOA and Goodwill. If you go to their web sites they have information on how to donate a car for a tax write-off.

You local church.

DONATE it is tax deductable.

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

Donation of Car for single mothers?

Help! I'm a single mother, I have no car and I've been having to borrow a car or walk to be able to get to work. I'm living with a roommate, but she's moving out of state, so won't be able to borrow her car for much longer. Does anyone have any idea where I could go to either apply for a car donation or any charity that might help me? I'm in desperate need.

GO TO THE SALVATION ARMY OR GOODWILL AND ASK THEM FOR HELP.

WE HAVE A GOOD WILL STORE THAT HELPS PEOPLE.

THERE ARE CHURCHES THAT CAN HELP, TOO

may you get help speedily http://answers.yahoo.com/question/accuse_write?qid=20070718161847AAGwFD0&kid=LpZ9IkPjGznaRlvR6KUn&s=comm&date=2007-08-03+11%3A01%3A45&.crumb=

Salvation army doesnt help all the time and there is so much red tape that takes for ever to get around. I'm in the same situation and if you figured it out let me know. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/accuse_write?qid=20070718161847AAGwFD0&kid=BoNNB2W0MkTcGeNmNoet&s=comm&date=2009-04-28+20%3A01%3A30&.crumb=

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

Are there any car donation places for College Students?

I am a undergrad college student who recently got kicked out of my house for wanting to go to college. Funny right!! Well whatever, I am staying with my sister and I want to get a decent job but everything around here is either to far or dont pay enough. I already work part time as a Photo Tech but I need something to help my sister pay the bills. I tried to apply for one of those free car donation place and they were A#$%^&*(. I knew it was a long shot but I gave it a try and it made me feel more like s*&^. I was just wondering if anyone knew if their is any place where a college student can apply for a car donation. I have proof from school teachers and friends. I am not lying I just really need to start helping out my sister. I would like this place to be preferably form MA or NH. Thank you and I hope you can help

Might try your local high school auto shop. They repair donated cars and then sell them for cost.

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

Which car donation site should I use in order to donate my car to charity?

I want to donate my car to charity and Iâ€™m not sure which site should I use. You canâ€™t tell the difference between them and how much does eventually go to the charity. Is there a way to compare between all the car donation sites?

I have recently donated my car (I live in LA) to Habitat for Humanity because they give 75% - 80% of the gross sale price and because I believe their cause in Nobel (they help build houses for people in need). Another organization that is famous for itâ€™s car donation site is Kidney Cars which help patients with kidney problems.

No matter which car donation organization you choose you must make sure that:

a. you make sure the charity behind the car donation site is one that you believe in its cause.

b. most of the GROSS revenues from the car donation goes to the charity at the end of the process.

You can find a comparison table between the car donation sites in www.compare-car-donation.com or you can simple search for car donation sites.

after many years of these same issues my wife and i give all to ARC association for retarded citizens.they seem to be the only out there that uses all proceeds for what it is intended to be god bless

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

How much do charities usually get from a car donation program?

Is there any way to find out how much car donation programs are actually giving to charities?

While the typical percentage is around 50%, some get a lot less, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/05/19/MN31930.DTL&type=printable. I believe you can check through the IRS to see what the percentage is for a particular charity.

It all depends on whether the charity hires out to a car donation company with a car donation program. Many charities do this. If they do then the charity will get a very small amount from the sales of the vehicle. The charity you choose should be able to reveal the percentage. There isn't a set percentage because there are many car donation programs through these companies. If this is a concern, choose a charity that sells the car themselves off their own lot (not a lot that is run by another type of car donation company that brokers the cars). They will be keeping a higher percentage of the sale. Some charities will give the car to a needy person. Some charities will keep the vehicle for it's own use. Check out all your local companies first to see if they hire outside car donation programs before you donate a car.

Who?

Spam Filtered (ID:3479463)

How much do charities usually get from a car donation program?

Is there any way to find out how much car donation programs are actually giving to charities?

Who?

Car Donation!?

My car is over 11 years old 1995 Mazda mx3. I do not have the title and unable to pay off balance. Who can I donate the car to. And will the donation center pay off the car balance?

If you are still making payments on the car, then the finance company holds the title until it has been paid in full. They are considered the owners of the vehicle, and so you will not be able to obtain a copy of the title from your motor vehicle office.

Since you do not yet own the car, you also will not be able to sell or donate it. If you want to trade it in for a different vehicle, the finance officer should be able to arrange the transfer of the title, but any unpaid amount will be deducted from the value of your trade.

No, a donation center will not pay off the balance. But there are lots of places that will take a donated car, from Salvation Army to Mother Hubbard, but you can't expect a non-profit to pay off your car loan. And if you don't have a title, you can't claim it on your taxes as you have no proof of ownership (unless the vehicle is registered in your name)

you can donate the car to anyone you wish but it will not pay off the note

the national kidney foundation, or call your local chamber of commerce

Instead of donating it....pawn it and then when they get it, they have to pay the balance. or sell it, for at least a couple hundred more, so you can get something out of it.

If you live in NY I know that the Long Island Crisis Center takes Car Donations. Do a search for them on Yahoo! and you can call them up and they'll arrange for the pick-up. I am not sure about the balance questions. Most donation places are non-profit organizations but you can ask them when you call. :)

No. you are still liable for the balance remaining on the loan.

You must sell it, pay back the loan, and keep the remainder.

By the way, go to the DMV (or MVD) and get a replacement title. as long as the car is in your name that should be no problem.

I think the car needs to be payed off and you have to have the title to donate it. I donated a 95 Honda Civic, with the title though.

Sell it to a second-hand car dealer. They usually take cars of virtually any model.

How would you invest if you were about to come into over $100,000? What are some surefire ways?

I am about to receive a settlement for over $100K and I am interested to know what I should do with the money. I do plan on paying off all of my debt plus my car payment. The remainer I would like to invest into a variety of options. I am leery of stocks. I do have a 401k plan at work which I plan on investing more and I also have some ING accounts which I will probably get more. I am interested in seeing a financial planner. $100K isn't much but I would like it to grow. I am not in a bind to where I need the money. I just want to make wise choices i.e. IRA's, money market accounts, small trust fund for my neices and nephew, savings, etc. I do plan on making a donation to charity and start a small scholarship in my name of course.

What should I do with this money?

Not sure how old you are... you sound young. First.. dont pay off all your bills...you want to always keep a line of credit open. If you must pay some, fine, but keep making car payments. Why would you open trust funds for your neices and nephews? Dont they have parents. I guess i am questioning you because, 100,000 isnt all that great a deal. Why dont you purchase a home. real estate is almost always a good place to invest money. When you are ready to marry and have a family of your own.. you can sell, make a nice profit and move into a larger home. Why not start your own business, investing in your own future by building a company can also turn into a career and legacy for your children. Sorry if i am mistaken about your age.

How would you like to turn your 100k into 1,000,000 in 10 years and live off the interest for the rest of your life, with no fear of losing a dime. There is a guranteed secured system in place, and I'll be glad to share the site with you...setfreechip@yahoo.com http://answers.yahoo.com/question/accuse_write?qid=20060707080659AAWMLVT&kid=Mo1YBHvcEWL_cTjodyWz&s=comm&date=2008-12-01+21%3A06%3A06&.crumb=

Diversify the money. Go see at least three different professionals and get their advise. Look at real estate and all other avenues. Compare potential income and look at the funds history very carefully. Be wise with the money. Make sure that 10% is money you have access to and can be cashed in just in case of an emergency.

u must have missed me ..

try being a lender on prosper.com ... you gain interest on the money you lend... look into it!

.Saving bonds

Send half to me and I'll "advise" you

I would give the money to me. That's a surefire way to make me richer.

hire a financial advisor

Don't hire an advisor. They don't really want to mess with the amount of money you have. CD's are doing well right now--I have some at 5.25% which is as much as many stocks are doing plus the CDs are insured. If you have about 6 months expenses some place insured, mutual funds might be a good idea. Some places don't charge much for starting. T.RowePrice and Fidelty are good companies (I have investments there) but there are other good companies too.

You might want to check out the Suze Orman website or buy one of her books.

2 words..merly lench!!!! i have almost tripped my inital start account..which was right around to where u are...

Not to brag but I have about $250,000, IN THE BANK, in various CD accounts. I know they dont pay a lot right now but I can sleep at nights and not worry about loosing it. By the way, I did not inherit it, I earned it in real estate.

100.000$ is not enough to buy a house. What other investment you want? You need at least 500.000 to start thinking of some serious investment.

Seek professional advice on what the RISK free investments are available out there. Their return may not be the highest but at least they are CERTAIN or safe. Investing in property could be a good proposition but DO NOT GO INTO BUSINESS VENTURES. You will lose it all !!! Do not go for 'clever' schemes. They never work. Do not be a sucker_, basically. Best adviser, your local bank manager. If he tells you to invest in things like government bonds, if these things still exist, then do it. What I would really advise to do is NOT to think about GREAT returns but to think about protecting your money from INFLATION. Bank manager of a reputable bank, is your best bet. Money brings problems and headaches so Good luck.

I have just read the advice "onehanginglo" is giving you. It sounds pretty solid to me. And "sparkler" is telling you about real estate and that sounds great too.

Please do not be one of these:

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Savinganddebt/Savemoney/P99649.asp

Put it in bonds. Stocks are dangerous in some cases, unless you are very confident in where to buy. Bonds are safe and trustworthy. I'm sure you know what they are, but you basically lend money to a company up and coming, and they pay you back with a nice interest rate.

It depends on how old you are. The older you are, the more conservative you should be.

It sounds like you are interested in guaranteed returns, so you should consider a money market account, or annuity.

Think of the one thing that always goes up in value? Real Estate! Buy a house, fix it up and sell it for a profit. make sure the repairs you have to do are minor, look for homes that havbe been on the market for a while. You would be surprised to find that many people don't clean or paint their house before selling and that alone can cause people not to want the house!

my personnel choice in TAX FREE bonds. The interest is a little less than other investments,but just as safe. Plus the income is TAX FREE from fed taxes. Also if u live in a state that has an income tax u might look for investments that are also free of state taxes. I have been dong this with my broker for years and I just love being able to make money and not LEGALLY pay income taxes on that income.

Begging-Should people who give money to beggars be fined?

Do you think it should be illegal for people to roll down their car windows and give money to beggars on the side of the road or the highway ramps? Do you think they should give their "so called" donation to a more worthy cause?

Sorry, but I work for my own money. And thanks to the levels of freedom in this country, I can do what I like with it. And that includes giving it away to your version of an unworthy cause.

Have you ever talked to a homeless person? Or some teenager on the street begging for quarters? Do you know what kind of shame and embarassment these people have to endure every time they have to look someone in the eyes and ask 'Any spare change mister?'

And despite popular belief, homeless people, and kids living on the street are not just too lazy to get a job, they are not just too stubborn to do what they are told and go back home to live with their parents (for the kids). Not everyone who is homeless chooses to be homeless. Have you ever heard a 6 year old kid in an elementary grade class telling his teacher that he wants to grow up to be a homeless person, begging on the street to earn a living? I never have, and I doubt that anyone else has either. People don't want to be poor, they don't want to be homeless, they don't want to go to food banks, soup kitchens or beg for change either. But it's something that these people have to do in order to earn a living. Most of them are NOT alcoholics or drug dependant either.

So, get a job, go on welfare or something? Yeah, nice idea. But a little known fact about social assistance is that you have to already have an address to get some money. How do you pay rent with no money?? And how do you apply for a job when you have no address, no telephone for them to reach you? It's hard enough just to stay clean, considering that you don't have access to a shower or anything like that. Have you ever wanted to work with someone that smelled like old garbage? Probably not.

Have you ever thought of what you might do if both of your parents were killed in a car accident? What if you had no other family to go live with? At 16 years old, could you fend for yourself? Or what if your parents didn't die. What if instead, they split up and neither of them wanted you? Then your mother moves across the country and leaves you with your 'dad'. He gets sick of your shitty attitude almost right away and kicks you out on the street because you're too much trouble to deal with. Without ever having graduated from high school, what do you do now?

Aside from that, there are plenty of homeless people that have become criminalized just to prevent themselves from freezing to death in the winter. I actually met a man who would commit a petty crime every year around October just so that he would have a warm bed and daily meals inside a prison for the winter months. But he wasn't a criminal. He did those things because he didn't have access to any other way to keep himself alive. He didn't know how to make the government programs work for him rather than against him. And with a criminal record, it became near impossible for him to get any kind of job, even one paying minimum wage.

With many cities making anti-panhandling legislation, even asking someone for spare change has become a criminal act. Do you realize that it is a crime to be poor? People treat you like dirt almost everywhere you go, and you develop a nasty suspicion that every time the police are around, they are there to do something to hurt you. Besides, you really think that it makes sense to give someone a fine for pan-handling when the reason they do it is that they already have no money?? What kind of sense does that make?

As for fining people that give poor people money, that is also an unfair idea. It's not against the law for you to give your money to the Heart & Stroke Foundation is it? Who has the right to say what I should consider worthy of my hard-earned money more than I do?? Hopefully nobody!

And take some free advice: take an afternoon, walk down the streets where some homeless guy has had the nerve to bother you looking for a handout and take a minute to TALK TO THE GUY! Ask him how he came to be where he is, and how wrong his life went. I bet that once, maybe long ago, he was probably a lot like you. Maybe you'll not only gain a bit of understanding about the place of poverty in this country, but you may also give the guy $5, or buy him a bowl of soup.

Smart Mel, you are f*cking awesome. I adore this answer. I've actually spent some time with homeless people, and they need financial help, not lectures. They need people who understand them and respect them, not people who lord over them. You rock! http://answers.yahoo.com/question/accuse_write?qid=1006051116897&kid=NbUvWjG9VTEHToSVg4qG&s=comm&date=2006-06-01+14%3A46%3A20&.crumb=

It's probably not your business. Give to the charities you feel are worthy and allow others to choose who/what to donate to. Sorry, I don't mean to be blunt but we should be able to choose who we want to donate to in America.

I don't think the people giving money to the panhandlers should be fined, but I sure think that police or someone should check the panhandlers out and see if they are really homeless, etc. There are alot of false people out there making a good living panhandling.

absolutly, panhandlers should also be arrested and brought to justice by the IRS, everybody should abide by the same laws, even the ones who don't work. Also police can't control all the panhandlers in areas due to the overwelming population of these scammers. As soon as you give them money they go out by alchol or drive away in their shinny BMWs.

No.

I want to develop work crews. Round up all the homeless and offer them some work. I would provide training. I would provide shelter, not really good at first due to lack of budget. The workers would have to pay a portion of their income for shelter and food.

Although I would not preach nor prohibit, I would encourage avoiding spending the remaining money on self-degrading activities. My shelter would hold classes, dances, plays, etc.

I absolutely disagree with people getting fined for giving money to beggars, or unfortunates. I feel that the person that donates money to people like that, should be able to do so, but for window washers, such as in Toronto, they should ask first, and if they are aggressive, they should be the ones to be fined

You are sorry to say probably scared of these homeless people. It is an ignorant unawareness in us all that terrifies us.Thoes beggers have no other choice. Blame the governments for not properly helping these people or putting in the proper programs to get these people off the streets permantly.Mission houses and soup kitchens are all temporary fixes to an ongoing and sad epidemic in this country.

I don't think that it should be illegal for someone to give money to beggars. The definition for a worthy cause is different for everybody. You may think donating to a homeless shelter is a worthy cause, where an individual who gives money to a beggar may feel it's a worthy cause because they gave to them personally.

My friend on welfare needs a car with a cerebral son?

I am not sure where to start with this & am not sure where to go either. have a friend who is a single mom on welfare.Her son's name is Johnny & he has Cerebral Palsy.The father left her the minute he knew he didn't have a "perfect" son.Johnny has physical therapy 4 days a week & this mom is forced to take a taxi.The cost is $85.00 one way.She is on welfare so I am not sure how she manages.My family has done so much to help them but there'sonly so much we can do.Her son is her world I know she would be devastated if she could not continue his therapy because of transportation costs.How would I even begin to find her transportation for donation or close to no cost. My husband &I would be able to pay a little but not much at all. We have 3 children so we don't have money floating all over the place to spend on a car for my friend. Where would I even begin to help them with this matter? I run her all over the place in my carut with gas prices so high, I can't keep doing it. Any ideas?

call social services, and the Salvation Army, they can help!

Try the Church. Catholic charities are also another good resource. I work at an auto auction and with this being the end of the year, alot of dealerships are willing to GIVE a car away because it is a tax write off that they need. Here is a link for the auto auction I work for. They have locations in ALL 50 states and someone in your area should be able to help. Just be prepared to be able to show medical proof of the disability because anywhere you go they are gonna ask or wanna see proof. Good luck and you are an awesome friend.

Wow. What a hand she has been dealt huh? And you have been a real trooper by understanding it and helping her with it, all while taking care of your own family.

Here are some things that may help her (some she probably already does):

1) The redcross offers cars free to almost free. Contact your local office (or the state office to see where the closest one is to you).

2) The salvation army helps with all sorts of items as well as has a list of helping orgs

3) The united way knows of many programs and transportation help

4) If the child has therapy, there is transportation help available in most areas. Contact the local hospitals (great source of info in the rehab unit or social services unit). Contact the state (and county if they actually are helpful) office for disabilities and ask what is available.

5) Contact local churches, find out who has the food bank and have her collect one per week. This will free up money for gas, electric, medicines, etc. some churches will deliver if transportation is a problem.

6) Sit down and write a letter in her behalf (for she is more then likely exhausted all of the time). Send it to all CP agencies and advocate groups. Send a copy to United Way, Salvation Army, Red Cross, your State Disability office, Public Advocates office (or whatever you can think of). Explain who you are, all of her contact info and exactly what you said here. Explain she needs help with transportation. Transportation is a HUGE issue for these cases, so I honesty think they will help.

7) Look online and see if and where there are local offices (even state) for CP.

8) That creep needs to help out too. Even though he left, since that child is disabled, he is supposed to pay child support for the rest of their lives (in most states). See if she has a child support order. Explain it is in the best interest of that child to get it. There is no place for pride, when it comes to our children. It helps nothing and no one. I would hunt him down like a dog.

9) There is a link I put here for the Child Support Calculator, just click on your state and enter the amounts. THAT is what he is supposed to be paying (ball park). His current expenses donâ€™t matter, they donâ€™t care about that.

One more thing; she will need you to do these things for her, and this help will be priceless. YOUR help is priceless. I will try and help in any way I can. Email me if you cant find what you are looking for. I will find it :)

Here are some links that may help. Just find their contact information on the sites (usually at the bottom of the pages, sides of pages or â€˜contactâ€™ button at top).

http://www.cerebralpalsysource.com/Resources/index.html

http://www.ucp.org/

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cerebral_palsy/cerebral_palsy.htm

http://www.cerebralpalsy.org/

http://www.cerebralpalsy.org/cerebral_palsy_links_resources/cerebral_palsy_linksnres.html

http://www.singlemoms.org/info/main.htm

http://www.singlemotherresources.com/

http://www.angelfire.com/nj4/njcomputerchick

http://modestneeds.org/

http://freecycle.org/

http://www.wantedposters.com/deadbeats_usa_a_to_f.htm

http://www.deadbeatjustice.com/list.htm

http://www.divorcelawinfo.com/

http://www.divorcelawinfo.com/calculators.htm

http://www.divorcehq.com/deadbeat.html

http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cse/

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/region2/index.html

http://www.supportkids.com/

http://www.supportcollectors.com/faq.php

http://sheknows.com/

http://www.co-abode.com/

http://singleparents.about.com/index.htm

http://www.secondharvest.org/

http://www.singlemom.com/

Try calling United Way

Check into various places like churches, etc. Also, look at bus routes, "park & rides", or even the possibility of car pooling. For example, if she can get a ride with someone who works in the area and then a ride home from them, even though it is an all day event, it sure beats paying $170 round trip in a cab.

I know there are places or organizations that will help out people that needs rides.

I would tell your friend to call her local social services agency and ask them where to start.

since I am assuming that her son is some kind of disability pay or he should be then SSI should be able to find her a car. I have heard in some cases they are given to the parent for free.

Good Luck.

Some cities provide public transport for people with disabilities, she would definitely qualify for that, so call public transport. United Way was suggested by someone, and that's a good plan as well.

Often local disability organizations would be the best way to go, we have a statewide one in our area, and it is a great way to find out who's getting rid of what, and if there are certain businesses who would donate. Johnny should definitely be on SSI, and probably SSDI, so that is additional income, if she hasn't contacted the social security office she should soon.

At the very least, she could call local news stations, in our area, there are always human interest stories on, and often it leads to a local business who will donate a car (title and all) or will offer to 'lease' it with no payments needed. One time, a family who's disabled son had just died saw a news piece and was able to donate for free the van that they were using.

Also try Craigslist or freecycle. It's unusual to get something as large as a car for free, but if one is listed and you were able to contact the owner, they might be willing to do so.

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