If your vehicle is physically picked up by December 31, the IRS treats your donation as occurring this tax year—even if the car sells later. With Cascade Car Exchange, you can start in under two minutes. Submit the quick online form or call our Oregon donation line, we schedule your free tow, you sign the title at pickup, and you’re done. Heritage for the Blind will mail your IRS donation paperwork after the vehicle is sold. The key deadline is the pickup date, not the sale date.
Cascade Car Exchange is local to Oregon, helping donors from Portland, Beaverton, Gresham, and Hillsboro to Salem, Eugene, Bend, Medford, and the Oregon Coast move fast before year-end. We coordinate with Heritage for the Blind, a registered 501(c)(3), so your donation supports services for people who are blind or visually impaired. Your car doesn’t need to run, pass DEQ, or have current tags—we’ll still pick it up at no cost. End the year by clearing your driveway and locking in a tax deduction for this year. Start now—December pickup slots in Oregon fill up quickly.
Your year-end donation timeline
Start the 2-minute form or call Cascade Car Exchange
2 minutesEnter your contact info, vehicle details, and preferred pickup times in our secure online form, or call to donate by phone through Heritage for the Blind. It takes about two minutes. Submitting today gives you more options for a guaranteed pre–Dec 31 pickup window in Oregon.
Get a scheduling call within 1–2 business hours
1–2 hours on weekdaysOn weekdays, a donation coordinator calls you back within about 1–2 hours to confirm your information and set up your free tow. You can choose the earliest available slot—often same-day or next business day in metro areas like Portland, Eugene, and Salem.
Free licensed tow truck picks up your car
Same-day or next business day in most metrosA licensed tow partner comes to your home, work, or storage lot. In many Oregon cities and suburbs—like Vancouver-area commuters on the Oregon side, Beaverton, Tigard, Springfield, and Medford—we can often schedule same-day or next business day. The physical pickup date is what locks in your tax year.
Sign the title and hand over the keys (if available)
5–10 minutes at pickupAt the truck, you sign your Oregon title over following the coordinator’s instructions. No DEQ inspection, repairs, or running engine required. Once the vehicle is on the truck with a signed title, your donation is complete for IRS timing purposes as of that pickup date.
Vehicle sale and IRS acknowledgment by Heritage for the Blind
Within 30 days of saleYour vehicle is transported, processed, and sold. Heritage for the Blind mails you a written acknowledgment or IRS Form 1098-C within 30 days after the sale. You’ll use this with your tax return if you itemize deductions on Schedule A.
Year-end tax deduction facts
Dec 31 pickup sets your tax year
For car donations, the IRS looks at when you relinquish control of the vehicle. If a licensed tow truck picks up your car on or before December 31, that donation counts for this tax year—even if the sale and paperwork happen later.
Form 1098-C and written acknowledgment
After your car is sold, Heritage for the Blind sends an IRS-compliant written acknowledgment or Form 1098-C, usually within 30 days of the sale. Keep this with your records to document your charitable deduction to the IRS.
Deduction usually equals the sale price
For most donated vehicles, the IRS limits your deduction to the gross proceeds from the sale, as reported on your 1098-C. There are some special cases, but typically your deductible amount is the price the charity actually receives when your car is sold.
Itemizing on Schedule A
To use a vehicle donation as a tax deduction, you must itemize deductions on Schedule A of your federal return. If you take the standard deduction, you won’t separately claim the car donation, even though the charity still benefits.
30-day receipt rule
The charity must send your acknowledgment within 30 days of either the sale of the vehicle or the date of the contribution in certain circumstances. This is why your official receipt may arrive weeks after your December 31 pickup date.