I donated a car last year and when I filed my taxes they didn't count it! help!?

When I did my taxes (at HR block last February) they didn't count the car I donated. It was worth $4,060 at the time of donation and in good working condition. I kept the receipt and am now wondering if they made a mistake? If not, could someone (like a CPA) explain to me why they didn't count this large donation?

Thanks!

There are a couple of good reasons why it may not have been used. The first has to do with a change in the law regarding donations of vehicles. You can not claim the deduction until the charity sends you a 1999C which provides the disposition value. That normally comes after the charity has sold the vehicle or put it to use in their operation. Secondly you may not have used itemized deductions. For most folks without a home mortgage and the deductible interest it is frequently more advantageous to use standard deduction and charitable donations are not added to the standard amount allowed. If none of those are the case you can go back to the office that did your taxes and ask them to have a supervisor review your return. If they made a mistake they will normally fix the problem without a charge.

Knowing absolutely nothing else about your situation, I would guess that you did not have enough other itemized deductions in order to take full advantage of the deduction. In order to receive a benefit for the write off for your car, the sum of all of your itemized deductions, including your car, had to exceed the standard deduction of $4,900.