If you’re in Salt Lake Metro and ready to donate your car for a 2024 tax deduction, timing is simple: the IRS counts the date your vehicle is picked up, not the day you fill out the form. With CarLift Utah, if our licensed tow truck completes pickup at your Salt Lake City–area address on or before December 31, your donation is locked in for this tax year. Start now: our secure form takes about two minutes, and our coordinators work quickly to fit your schedule.
CarLift Utah coordinates with Heritage for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) charity, to provide fast, free vehicle pickup anywhere in the Salt Lake Metro area—from Sugar House, the Avenues, and Glendale to Sandy, West Jordan, Draper, Bountiful, and beyond. Your car doesn’t need to run, pass inspection, or have current registration. You keep your plates, sign the title at pickup, and we handle the rest. December fills up fast, especially the last week of the year, so the most reliable way to secure your 2024 deduction is to start your donation today and grab one of the remaining pickup slots.
Your year-end donation timeline
Start the 2-minute form or call CarLift Utah
2 minutesSubmit our simple online form or call CarLift Utah on behalf of Heritage for the Blind. Share basic info: your contact details, car location, and vehicle condition. It truly takes about two minutes, and you don’t need paperwork in front of you to start.
Get a callback to schedule your free pickup
Within 1–2 business hours (weekdays)A donation coordinator calls you back—typically within 1–2 business hours on weekdays—to confirm details and book a tow time that works for you. Tell us you need pickup by Dec 31 so we can prioritize a qualifying time slot in Salt Lake Metro.
Licensed tow truck arrives for free pickup
Same-day or next business day in most metro areasIn most Salt Lake Metro locations, we can send a licensed tow truck the same day or the next business day, Monday–Saturday. Your vehicle can be non-running, parked on the street, or in a driveway—no inspection, repairs, or smog needed.
Sign the title and complete your donation
About 10 minutes at pickupAt your home, office, or storage lot, you’ll sign the title over to Heritage for the Blind while the driver is there. The tow operator provides a basic pickup receipt. The pickup date is the IRS donation date that locks in your tax year.
Vehicle is sold and your IRS receipt is mailed
Within 30 days of saleThe vehicle is transported, processed, and sold. Within 30 days after the sale, Heritage for the Blind mails your written acknowledgment/IRS Form 1098-C (when required) to the address you provided, showing the sale amount for your potential deduction.
Year-end tax deduction facts
Dec 31 pickup = this year’s deduction
For vehicle donations, the IRS uses the date the charity takes possession of the car. If our tow truck picks up your car on or before December 31, that donation applies to this tax year—even if the sale and receipt happen later.
Your deduction is usually the sale price
In most cases, the IRS allows you to deduct up to the gross proceeds from the charity’s sale of your vehicle. After your car is sold, Heritage for the Blind documents that sale price in the written acknowledgment or on Form 1098-C.
Form 1098-C for larger vehicle donations
When required by the IRS for vehicle donations, Heritage for the Blind issues Form 1098-C. This form shows key details including sale date and amount, which you or your tax preparer use to support your Schedule A charitable deduction claim.
30-day written acknowledgment rule
Federal tax rules require that the charity send a written acknowledgment—often Form 1098-C—within 30 days of the vehicle’s sale. Expect your paperwork by mail after the sale, not necessarily by December 31, even if pickup occurs earlier.
Itemizing on Schedule A
To claim a vehicle donation, you generally must itemize deductions on Schedule A instead of taking the standard deduction. A tax professional can confirm whether itemizing and claiming your car donation is beneficial in your specific situation.