Donating your car in Indiana before December 31? With Hoosier Wheels, the date the tow truck picks up your vehicle is the IRS donation date. If we physically pick up your car on or before December 31, your deduction applies to this tax year—even if the sale and paperwork finish later. Start now with a simple two-minute form or quick call, and we’ll move fast to lock in a pickup time that works for you.
Hoosier Wheels partners with Heritage for the Blind, a real 501(c)(3), to turn your car into services for people who are blind or visually impaired. We serve donors all over Indiana—from Indianapolis neighborhoods like Broad Ripple, Irvington, and Fountain Square, to Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, Bloomington, Lafayette, Muncie, Gary, Hammond, and Merrillville. Free licensed towing is available across the state, including suburbs such as Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Greenwood, Avon, and Westfield. Your car doesn’t need to run, pass inspection, or have current registration. You get fast, local pickup, and a tax receipt you can use when you file.
Your year-end donation timeline
Start the 2-minute form or call Hoosier Wheels
2 minutesSubmit our secure online form or call Hoosier Wheels (donations benefiting Heritage for the Blind). Share basic details: contact info, vehicle location, year, make, and model. It truly takes about two minutes and is all we need to start lining up a Dec 31 pickup in Indiana.
Get a coordinator callback to lock in your pickup
Within 1–2 business hoursOn weekdays, an experienced donation coordinator calls you back within 1–2 hours to confirm your information and schedule your free tow. Tell us you need pickup by December 31, and we’ll offer the fastest available time slots in your Indiana area.
Free licensed tow truck meets you at your address
Same-day or next business day in most metrosIn most Indiana metro areas—like Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, and South Bend—we can often dispatch a licensed tow truck for same-day or next-business-day pickup. You choose the time window. Once the truck arrives on or before Dec 31, your IRS donation date is locked in.
Sign the title and hand over the keys at pickup
About 5–10 minutesAt the tow truck arrival, you sign your Indiana title over and provide the keys (if you have them). Our driver will walk you through the signature spots. Your vehicle does not need to run or pass inspection. After the truck leaves, your donation is complete for this tax year.
We sell your vehicle and send your tax paperwork
Receipt mailed within 30 days of saleHoosier Wheels arranges for your car to be sold, and the proceeds support Heritage for the Blind. After the sale, we mail you Form 1098-C (or a written acknowledgment) within 30 days of the sale date so you have the documentation needed for your federal tax return.
Year-end tax deduction facts
Pickup date sets your tax year
For vehicle donations, the IRS treats the date we take possession of your car as the donation date. If your tow truck pickup happens on or before December 31, your deduction applies to that tax year—even if the sale happens later.
Form 1098-C for larger deductions
When your donated vehicle is sold, you’ll receive IRS Form 1098-C or a written acknowledgment from Heritage for the Blind within 30 days of the sale. This form is required for claiming deductions of more than $500 related to vehicle donations.
Deduction usually equals sale price
In most cases, your allowable federal deduction is the gross sale price of the vehicle, not the Kelley Blue Book value. We handle the sale, then report that sale price on your 1098-C so you can document the amount you claim on your return.
Itemizing on Schedule A
To benefit from a car donation, you must itemize deductions on Schedule A of your federal tax return instead of taking the standard deduction. Talk with your tax advisor about whether itemizing makes sense given your total charitable and other deductible expenses.
30-day receipt timing
The IRS allows charities up to 30 days after a vehicle is sold to send your written acknowledgment or Form 1098-C. It’s normal to receive your paperwork in January or later, even when your pickup—and therefore your donation date—was in December.