Should I get a 1098-C for vehicle donation if taking standard deduction? Any benefits?

Having the 1098-C is actually a good idea even if you're taking the standard deduction this year. Here's why: First, it provides official documentation of your donation if the IRS ever has questions. The 1098-C is filed with the IRS by the charity, creating an official record of your donation that's much stronger than just an informal receipt. Second, your tax situation might change in the future. If you realize later that itemizing would have been better, you'll need that official form. The IRS requires the 1098-C specifically for vehicle donations over $500, not just any receipt. Third, some states have different rules for deductions than federal. Depending on where you live, you might be able to deduct charitable donations on your state taxes even while taking the standard deduction on federal. There's really no downside to getting the form other than sharing your SSN with a legitimate charity, which they're required to keep secure.

When I was in a similar situation last year, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it totally saved me with my vehicle donation confusion. I donated my boat and wasn't sure if I should bother with the 1098-C since I was planning to take the standard deduction too. The service analyzed my documents and tax situation and showed me that in my specific case, I actually benefited from having the official documentation, even though I didn't itemize that year. They pointed out that if I ever got audited, having the proper 1098-C on file would make things much smoother. Plus they explained how my state has a separate charitable deduction that works even with the federal standard deduction. It was definitely worth getting a proper analysis instead of just guessing.

Just wanted to follow up - I ended up trying taxr.ai after reading about it here. Totally worth it for my vehicle donation situation! I was planning to skip the 1098-C form since I was taking the standard deduction like you, but it showed me that I could still benefit from the form for my state taxes. I live in Colorado where we can claim some charitable deductions regardless of whether we itemize federally. The analysis saved me over $300 on my state taxes! Plus it gave me this complete documentation package in case of audit. Definitely get the 1098-C form - there's really no downside to having proper documentation.

If you're having trouble getting answers from the IRS about vehicle donations or the 1098-C, I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in your exact situation last year with a truck donation, and the charity was pressuring me to decide quickly about the 1098-C. I had specific questions about audit risk with vehicle donations over $5,000. After waiting on hold with the IRS for 2+ hours and getting disconnected twice, I tried Claimyr and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent confirmed that having the 1098-C was important for donations over $5k even with standard deduction because of potential audit flags, and explained exactly what documentation I needed to keep. Saved me hours of frustration!

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway since I was completely stuck with my vehicle donation questions. I couldn't get a straight answer about whether I needed an appraisal along with the 1098-C for my $6200 donated van. Holy crap, it actually worked exactly as described. I got connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes (after waiting on hold for 3+ hours previously and getting nowhere). The agent explained that for vehicles over $5000, I should get both the 1098-C AND an independent appraisal for my records even if taking standard deduction. Apparently, large vehicle donations have special documentation requirements regardless of whether you itemize or not. Definitely getting both documents now.

Just my 2 cents - I'd definitely get the 1098-C. I work at an accounting firm (not a CPA tho!) and see lots of people who think they'll take standard deduction but end up itemizing. With a $6500 vehicle donation plus any other charitable giving, mortgage interest, medical expenses, etc., you might be closer to itemizing than you realize. Also, tax laws change! The 1098-C gives you options and official documentation.

One more thing to consider - if your income is under $30k, check if you qualify for any tax credits related to charitable giving. Some states have credits (not deductions) for donations that apply regardless of whether you take standard deduction. The 1098-C might be needed to document eligibility for those. I took standard deduction last year but still got a small credit on my state return for my car donation.

I'd strongly recommend getting the 1098-C form, even though you're taking the standard deduction. Here's why: The IRS has specific rules for vehicle donations over $500 - they require the 1098-C for proper documentation, regardless of whether you itemize or not. Since your CR-V is worth $6,500, this puts you well into the range where the IRS expects official documentation. Also, consider that your financial situation could change. Maybe you'll have unexpected medical expenses later in the year, or other deductible expenses that could make itemizing worthwhile. Having the 1098-C gives you that option. From an audit protection standpoint, vehicle donations are one of the areas the IRS scrutinizes more closely. Having the official form filed with the IRS creates a paper trail that protects you, even if you don't claim the deduction this year. The only "cost" is sharing your SSN with a legitimate charity, which they're required to keep secure anyway. There's really no downside to getting proper documentation for such a significant donation.