If you live in Pennsylvania and want your car donation to count for this year’s taxes, the key date is December 31. The IRS uses the actual pickup date as your donation date. With Penn Heritage Rides, the fastest path is simple: complete our 2‑minute online form or call now, answer a few basic questions, and our coordinator will schedule your free tow before December 31 (in most PA metro areas), locking in your deduction for this tax year.
Penn Heritage Rides partners with Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) supporting people who are blind or visually impaired. We handle everything for you across Pennsylvania—from Philadelphia, Upper Darby, Bensalem, and King of Prussia, to Pittsburgh, Monroeville, Cranberry Township, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Allentown, Erie, and smaller towns in between. Your car doesn’t need to run, pass inspection, or have current registration. Once we pick it up, it’s towed at no cost, sold, and you receive IRS‑compliant donation paperwork by mail. You get space back in your driveway, potential tax savings, and the satisfaction of helping a real Pennsylvania–connected cause—all started in just a couple of minutes today.
Your year-end donation timeline
Start the 2‑Minute Form or Call Penn Heritage Rides
2 minutesProvide your contact info, vehicle location, and basic car details, or share them by phone. You can do this from anywhere in Pennsylvania—whether you’re in South Philly, the Main Line, the Lehigh Valley, or suburban Pittsburgh.
Get a Scheduling Call Back
Within 1–2 business hours (weekdays)A donation coordinator calls you back to confirm details and offer pickup windows. Around year‑end, call volume is high, so the sooner you start, the easier it is to reserve a pre‑December 31 pickup slot.
Book Your Free Tow by December 31
Same day or next business day in most metrosIn most Pennsylvania metro areas, we can send a licensed tow truck the same day or next business day. Choose a time that works for you. As long as the truck arrives by December 31, the IRS treats it as this year’s donation.
Sign the Title at Pickup
5–10 minutesAt your home, office, or storage lot, you sign the title over to complete the donation. The driver helps ensure you sign in the right place under Pennsylvania title rules so the transfer is clean and compliant.
Car is Sold and Tax Paperwork Mailed
Within 30 days of saleYour vehicle is transported, processed, and sold. Heritage for the Blind mails you IRS‑compliant written acknowledgement, and when required, Form 1098‑C, typically within 30 days of the sale date for your records.
Year-end tax deduction facts
Pickup Date = Donation Date
For vehicle donations, the IRS uses the date you actually transfer the car—when the tow truck picks it up and you sign the title—as your donation date. A December 31 pickup locks in a deduction for that tax year.
Form 1098‑C for Larger Deductions
If your vehicle sells for more than the IRS threshold, Heritage for the Blind issues Form 1098‑C. You use this form to support your deduction when filing and attach it if you’re required to submit it with your return.
Written Acknowledgment within 30 Days of Sale
After your car is sold, you receive a written acknowledgment by mail, usually within 30 days of the sale. It lists the vehicle, sale details, and charity information you need for your tax records and potential deduction.
Itemizing on Schedule A
To claim a car donation deduction, you generally need to itemize your deductions on Schedule A of your federal return. The allowed amount is typically based on the charity’s gross sale price, not market estimates.
Non‑Running and Uninspected Vehicles Qualify
Your car does not need to run, pass Pennsylvania inspection, or have current registration. As long as we can pick it up and complete the title transfer, it can be accepted as a charitable contribution vehicle.