On June 3, 2005, the IRS released guidance on charitable deductions for donated vehicles. The American Jobs Creation Act (AJCA) radically changed the amount of the deduction taxpayers can claim for their donated car.

Fair Market Value v. Actual Sales Price

When donating a car to charity, a taxpayer traditionally was allowed to deduct the fair market value. The new law changes this valuation to the actual sales price of the vehicle when sold by the charity. The taxpayer is also required to get written and timely acknowledgment from the charity in order to claim the deduction

The AJCA does provide some limited exceptions under which a donor may claim a fair market value deduction. If the charity makes a significant intervening use of a vehicle–such as regular use to deliver meals on wheels– the donor may deduct the full fair market value. For example, driving a vehicle a total of 10,000 miles over a one-year period to deliver meals is a significant intervening use.

The AJCA also allows a donor to claim a fair market value deduction if the charity makes a material improvement to the vehicle. Under the guidance, a material improvement means major repairs that significantly increase the value of a vehicle, and not mere painting or cleaning.

Interestingly, the IRS has also added an exemption not included in the AJCA. On its own, the IRS has determined that taxpayers can claim a deduction for the fair market value of a donated vehicle if the charity gives or sells the vehicle at a significantly below-market price to a needy individual, as long as the transfer furthers the charitable purpose of helping a poor person in need of a means of transportation.

If you intend to assert one of these exemptions, how do you determine the fair market value? Generally, vehicle pricing guidelines and publications differentiate between trade-in, private-party, and dealer retail prices. The IRS consider the fair market value for vehicle donation purposes to be no higher than the private-party price.

The new provisions of the Americans Job Creation Act certainly make it less attractive to donate a car to charity. Using the exemptions, however, you can still create a sizeable deduction while helping others who are less fortunate.

Categories: Car Deals
29 Mar 2010

Cheap Car Auction Get The Best Deals On Cars

Many people around the world drive cars sell cars; buy cars, in-fact, today many people, especially familys need cars to survive. In this article we will discuss car auctions, not just cheap car auctions because this is where you get the bargain deals on cars, most auctions, and quality auctions especially, will give you the best possible deals on cars.

What to expect at car auctions around the world

At the car auctions, you will get very good deals on cars to be honest, based on our experience if you stick in, you will get bargain deals on cars worth far more than the price they go for. This is why many people start dealing in cars after they have been to a few auctions and experienced the events themselves.

Cheap car auctions are everywhere

Cheap car auctions are all over the world, and to be honest, there is no such thing as a cheap car auction because generally, a person goes to get low cost deals on cars anyway. This is the whole purpose of the car auctions events that are on worldwide. Many dealers are born and become successes from cheap car auctions alone. However, remember the flip side is that they are not just for dealers. Anyone can go to car auctions, and because of that getting a hold of a cheap car is available to anyone.

Some people have said that car auctions are only for dealers in cars, however, we werent dealers when we went, in-fact, we went to look for bargain deals on cars and we werent registered dealers or even registered of traders in the car industry business. In life it is always to take some advice as a pinch of salt.

In the end, its about trying things for yourself and then you will know the facts. People try things, but they dont go all the way and put 100 percent in, then they say its only for dealers, like we said, take this with a pinch of salt.

Our conclusion on cheap car auctions and our final advice

On a final note, we advise that you take someone with you who has some knowledge on cars. It can be a nightmare thinking you have a bargain car on your hands, but not knowing whether to bid or not because you dont know enough about the car.

Categories: Car Deals
22 Mar 2010

Car Loan Deals

- Admin

When it comes to getting the best car loan deals then a lot of it will depend on your credit history. If you have a good credit past then this will go in your favour when it comes to getting the best rate of interest. However, all is not lost if you have had problems with credit in the past, although you still can get credit when it comes to getting a loan for a car you wont get the best interest rates, but by shopping around you can get a good car loan deal.

If you have an excellent credit rating then it might be in your best interest to go for a personal loan, by going for a personal loan you are able to shop around online and secure the cheapest loan and rate of interest. It also works another way in your best interests because as you already have the cash in your pocket by going for a personal loan you can go along to the dealer and offer cash.

The majority of time if you pay cash for your car then you can get extras; the dealer could knock something off the price you pay if you pay cash there and then or offer you bonuses such as money off your insurance. Another benefit is that you will drive away from the showroom knowing that the dealer isnt in a position to repossess the car should you miss a repayment.

One possibility when it comes to financing your car is to take the finance through the dealer where you choose to buy your car from. However the majority of times the rate of interest will be a lot higher than if you had shopped around for a personal loan, one of the biggest benefits of taking this type of finance is that it is easier to get but you of course will pay for this privilege.

If you do have bad credit history and have been turned down time and time again for credit, then it still might be possible for you to get a loan to buy a car. If you look online then there many places which now offer loans to those with bad credit ratings, however by doing so you can expect of course to have to pay a high rate of interest on the loan.

Whichever way you decide to go for your car loan deal the best place to start is to go online, the internet holds a vast amount of information about the different types of car loan deals that are available and also the best rates of interest or best offers at car dealerships.

Categories: Car Deals
15 Mar 2010

Buying And Selling Used Cars: How To Get The Best Deals

In the fast-paced world we live in, owning cars is an essential necessity in life. With a car, you can manage your life easier, and more efficiently.

New car buyers usually buy their car in used car dealership to save money.

Most people consider getting another used car and usually sell their first car.

Here are some tips to get you started in buying or selling used cars and in the same time, getting the best deal possible.

Used Car Buyers

The first thing you should consider when buying a used car is how much you are willing to spend. Knowing what you can and cannot afford is the first step when buying used cars. Saving money is mainly the reason why most people buy used cars. Another reason is that they want a specific model of a car but cannot afford to buy a brand new one. To get the best deals possible you should research, and research some more.

To know how much you can afford you should first figure out your monthly net income. To get the exact figures, you have to first get your total monthly gross income then, deduct all of your monthly expenses like; groceries, insurance, rent payments, mortgage, etc. the result will be your net income.

After you figure out your monthly net income, you should ask yourself:

How much am I willing to spend on a car?
How much is the down payment?
How much can I afford on monthly payments?

While calculating these three important numbers, you should also consider the cost of fuel, registration and insurance. Find out if the vehicles you are interested in are still capable of giving many a good mile to gallon of fuel ratio.

Contact your insurance company to know how much your monthly payments will be on each of the cars you are interested in. Give considerations if the vehicles have safety features like airbags, and anti lock braking system or ABS. Insurance companies usually give discounts if the car has these features.

The biggest disadvantage to buying a used car is the lack of warranty. Private sellers often do not include any warranty on the car they are selling. Another problem when you purchase a used car is the risk of buying a junk.

You may have purchased the car for a very low price but you could have bought a car that will drain your money on maintenance costs.

It is always wise to inspect the car thoroughly first before deciding to buy it. If possible, try to find out about the cars history. Get some of the cars service records for you to know a bit about the cars history.

Selling Used Cars

Selling your old car can prove difficult and time consuming. Most people who tries to sell their used car often gets tired and will just trade it in or sell it in a very low price.

Here are a few tips on selling a used car to get you the best deal possible.

Once you decide to sell your old car, the first thing you should do is set a price for it. To help you with the actual value of your old car in the market, research the cars make and model in the internet or in your local used car dealership. Ask around.

After you figure out the market value, find out how many vehicles that are similar to yours are in the market, then, increase the price of your old car just a little. This can be helpful when a buyer tries to haggle, which they often do. This gives you an allowance for haggling.

The next step would be evaluating your vehicle. List down your old cars accessories and other added expenses. This would be a good way to further increase your vehicles price.

You should also include in your list about the condition of the vehicle. The better the condition the faster it sells. You should also present you cars service records to the buyer.

A service record is a good way to know about the cars history. If your old cars service record were clean (no accidents, good maintenance) it would sell faster.

Categories: Car Deals
8 Mar 2010