Want your car donation to count for this year’s taxes? With Crescent Wheels in Greater New Orleans, your IRS donation date is the day we physically pick up your vehicle—not the day it’s sold. If we tow your car on or before December 31, you’ve locked in a potential deduction for your current tax year, even though the sale and tax receipt may come later. It starts with a simple two-minute form or quick phone call, and we handle everything else, including the free tow and paperwork through Heritage for the Blind.
We know how the end of the year feels in New Orleans—holiday traffic on I-10, family in town from Kenner to Slidell, and parades gearing up from Uptown to the French Quarter. That’s why we keep your part easy. We pick up in Greater New Orleans and surrounding areas — from Mid-City, Gentilly, Lakeview, Algiers, and the Marigny, to Metairie, Gretna, Harvey, and beyond. Your vehicle doesn’t need to run, pass inspection, or have current registration. You get a free licensed tow, a written acknowledgment for your records, and the satisfaction of helping Heritage for the Blind serve people who are blind or visually impaired.
Your year-end donation timeline
Start: 2-minute form or quick call
2 minutesRight now, complete our secure online form or call Crescent Wheels on behalf of Heritage for the Blind. You’ll share basic info: contact, vehicle location, and condition (running or not). This timestamps your intent and puts your car into our year‑end pickup queue for Greater New Orleans.
Confirmation call and pickup scheduling
Within 1–2 business hours (weekdays)On weekdays, a donation coordinator calls you back within 1–2 hours to confirm details and schedule your free licensed tow. You choose the earliest available slot that works for you, with priority given to pickups needed by December 31 in the metro area.
Free tow at your address in Greater New Orleans
Same day or next business day in most metro areasA professional, licensed tow truck comes to your home, workplace, or storage lot—from Uptown and the Bywater to Metairie, Marrero, or Chalmette. You don’t need keys for some vehicles or a current inspection sticker. This pickup date is your IRS donation date if it’s on or before Dec 31.
Sign the title at pickup
5–10 minutesAt the tow, you sign your Louisiana vehicle title over to Heritage for the Blind with simple instructions from our driver or coordinator. Once signed and the vehicle is loaded, you’ve legally completed the donation. Keep any temporary receipt or tow slip for your records until your acknowledgment arrives.
Sale of your vehicle and tax acknowledgment
Within 30 days of saleYour vehicle is transported, processed, and sold. After the sale, Heritage for the Blind mails you IRS Form 1098‑C or a written acknowledgment within 30 days of the sale date. That document shows the gross sale price, which is usually the amount you may be able to deduct if you itemize.
Year-end tax deduction facts
Your IRS donation date is the pickup date
For car donations, the IRS treats the date the charity takes control of your vehicle as the donation date. With Crescent Wheels, that’s the physical pickup date. If the tow happens on or before December 31, it applies to that tax year.
Form 1098-C documents larger deductions
If your donated vehicle sells for more than the IRS reporting threshold, Heritage for the Blind issues Form 1098‑C. It lists the vehicle details and sale price, and you’ll use this form when you file to substantiate your deduction with the IRS.
Deduction usually equals the gross sale price
In most cases, when your donated car is sold, your allowable deduction is the vehicle’s gross sale price, not an estimated value. That amount appears on Form 1098‑C or your written acknowledgment, which you keep with your tax records.
You must itemize on Schedule A
To claim a car-donation tax deduction, you generally need to itemize deductions on Schedule A of your federal income tax return. If you do not itemize, you typically cannot claim a separate deduction for your vehicle donation.
30-day rule for your written acknowledgment
After your vehicle sells, Heritage for the Blind will send Form 1098‑C or a written acknowledgment within 30 days of the sale. Even if that letter arrives in the new year, your deduction still ties back to the actual pickup date.