Donate your car in Wilkes-Barre by December 31 and, in most cases, you can deduct the actual sale price of the vehicle on your federal income tax return. Coal Valley Charity Cars processes your donation for Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3). If your vehicle sells for over $500, you’ll get an IRS Form 1098-C after it sells; your deduction is the gross sale proceeds, not Kelley Blue Book. If it’s valued at $500 or less, you’ll receive a written acknowledgment and you may generally deduct up to $500 or the fair market value, whichever is lower. You must itemize using Schedule A to claim your deduction. Always confirm your eligibility with a tax professional.
Coal Valley Charity Cars makes year-end car donation easy for neighbors across Wilkes-Barre and the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre metro—from Downtown and Parsons to South Wilkes-Barre, Miners Mills, and the Heights, plus nearby communities like Kingston, Plains, Hanover Township, and Pittston. We offer free pickup, usually within a few days, even if your car doesn’t run. You’ll get a pickup confirmation you can keep as proof of your donation date, which is what matters for the December 31 deadline—not the sale date. You help fund vital services for people who are blind or visually impaired, while we handle the paperwork.
Your year-end donation timeline
Start your donation in 2 minutes
2 minutesComplete our quick online form or call to donate your car from anywhere in the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre area. Have your title (if available) and basic vehicle details ready. This locks in your intent to donate before December 31.
Schedule free local pickup
5 minutesOur Wilkes-Barre dispatch team schedules a free tow—often within 24–72 hours, Monday–Saturday. We pick up in Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Plains, Hanover Township, Pittston, and beyond. Non-running or damaged vehicles are welcome; no inspection or repairs required.
Sign and receive pickup confirmation
5–10 minutesAt pickup, you sign the title (where required) and the tow driver provides or confirms your donation paperwork. Keep your pickup confirmation as proof of the donation date—critical for claiming your deduction for this tax year.
We sell your vehicle and handle IRS paperwork
After pickupCoal Valley Charity Cars arranges the sale of your vehicle for the benefit of Heritage for the Blind. Once it sells, we calculate the gross proceeds that determine your allowable deduction, following IRS vehicle donation rules.
Receive your tax documents and file
Within IRS timeframesIf your vehicle sells for over $500, we mail you IRS Form 1098-C within 30 days of the sale. For vehicles $500 or less, you receive a written acknowledgment. Use this documentation and Schedule A if you itemize and claim your deduction.
Year-end tax deduction facts
Donation date vs. sale date
For tax purposes, the key date is when you donate the vehicle, not when it sells. If we pick up your car on or before December 31, your donation is generally considered made in that tax year.
Form 1098-C and sale price rule
If your vehicle sells for more than $500, Heritage for the Blind issues IRS Form 1098-C. In most cases, your allowable deduction equals the gross sale price, not Kelley Blue Book or your estimate of value.
Vehicles $500 or less
If your donated vehicle is valued at $500 or less, you receive a written acknowledgment instead of Form 1098-C. You may generally deduct up to $500 or the fair market value, whichever is lower, subject to IRS rules.
You must itemize on Schedule A
To claim a car donation deduction, you must file Schedule A and itemize deductions. If you take the standard deduction, you cannot also deduct your vehicle donation. A tax professional can help you decide which approach fits you.
30-day IRS receipt requirement
When the vehicle sells, Heritage for the Blind sends your Form 1098-C or written acknowledgment within 30 days of the sale, as required by the IRS. Keep this with your records; you’ll need it if your return is ever reviewed.