Spread the News About Good News Garage

Coming off a bountiful Thanksgiving weekend, I just wanted to share a little bit of goodwill by putting in a plug for the Good News Garage, a subsidiary of Lutheran Social Services. (For the record, I am in no way affiliated with the church or its social services organization.) It’s an organization that takes used cars people no longer want and puts them in the hands of people who need them.

That simple fact alone would be enough for me to heartily endorse this group, which is active in New England. Links to similar organizations around the country are available at the Good News Garage website. It’s a simple act of charity that can make a life-saving difference for a recipient.

However, there is a practical benefit to a donor. You can deduct the fair market value of a used car when it is donated for use by a charity. If a nonprofit takes your car and sells it for the cash, your deduction is equal to what the car was sold for. You are always going to get a higher deduction with fair market value than the actual selling price.

So, if your circumstances dictate – or you’re looking for an end-of-the-year tax write off - look up the good folks at Good News Garage.

Photo © Good News Garage