Donating your car in New York and claiming the tax deduction for this year is simple: your IRS “donation date” is the actual pickup date. If Metro Wheels picks up your vehicle on or before December 31, you’re in for this tax year—even if the sale and Form 1098‑C arrive weeks later. Start with a quick 2‑minute form or phone call, we schedule your free tow on your timeline, and you get written acknowledgment shortly after the vehicle is sold.
Metro Wheels partners with Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3), to turn your car into funding for services for people who are blind or visually impaired. We handle everything in the New York City Metro area—from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx to Staten Island, Yonkers, White Plains, Jersey City, and Newark. Your car doesn’t need to run, pass inspection, or have current registration. A licensed tow truck comes to your curb, your garage, or your lot, usually the same day or next business day. You sign the title at pickup, we tow it away free, and you receive the tax paperwork by mail. Right now, year‑end calendar spots are filling quickly—reserve your pickup before they’re gone.
Your year-end donation timeline
Start in 2 minutes: online form or call
2 minutesIn New York City Metro, the fastest path is simple: fill out Metro Wheels’ secure 2‑minute donation form or call our team. Share your contact info, basic vehicle details, and where the car is located—street parking in Astoria, a garage in Park Slope, or a driveway in Yonkers are all fine.
Get a call back and lock your pickup date
Within 1–2 business hours (weekdays)A Heritage for the Blind coordinator calls you back, usually within 1–2 business hours Monday–Friday, to confirm your information and schedule your free tow. You choose a convenient pickup window—same‑day or next business day in most New York Metro locations, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and nearby suburbs.
Free licensed tow truck arrives at your address
Same day or next business day in most areasA professional, licensed tow truck comes to the exact address you provide—your building in Midtown, a lot in Long Island City, or a home in Staten Island or New Rochelle. Your vehicle does not have to run, pass inspection, or have recent registration. This physical pickup date is what the IRS treats as your donation date.
Sign your title and complete the donation
5–10 minutes at pickupAt pickup, you hand over the keys (if you have them) and sign the title over following New York State rules. The driver or coordinator will walk you through where to sign. Once your car is on the truck on or before December 31, your deduction is locked in for this tax year, even though the sale happens later.
Vehicle sold and tax paperwork mailed
Within weeks of saleMetro Wheels arranges transportation and sale of your vehicle to benefit Heritage for the Blind. After the sale is completed, you’ll receive IRS Form 1098‑C or a written acknowledgment by mail, generally within 30 days of the sale. This document shows the sale amount you’ll use when you file your return.
Year-end tax deduction facts
Dec 31 pickup = this year’s donation date
For IRS purposes, your donation date is when Heritage for the Blind takes possession of your vehicle—your pickup date. If we tow your car on or before December 31, the donation counts for this tax year, even if the sale and paperwork happen later.
Form 1098‑C documents your deduction
After your car is sold, Heritage for the Blind mails you IRS Form 1098‑C (or a similar acknowledgment). It states key details, including the gross proceeds from the sale, which you’ll typically use as the basis for your charitable vehicle deduction.
Deduction usually equals the sale price
For most donated vehicles, the IRS limits your charitable deduction to the amount the charity actually receives from selling your car. That sale price is shown on Form 1098‑C, and that’s the number you generally claim when you itemize deductions on Schedule A.
You must itemize on Schedule A to benefit
Car donations are charitable contributions. To get a tax savings from your Metro Wheels donation, you need to itemize deductions on IRS Schedule A. If you take the standard deduction, you won’t get additional tax benefit from the vehicle donation.
30‑day rule for written acknowledgment
The IRS requires that the charity send your 1098‑C or written acknowledgment within 30 days of the vehicle’s sale (or certain other dispositions). Keep this document with your tax records to support your deduction if the IRS ever asks for proof.