As spring arrives, the dreaded thoughts of cleaning out closets, garages, the She Shed or Man Cave and all the other places that have accumulated assorted stuff may be looming in your brain.

Or perhaps you’ve heard of the concept of “Swedish death cleaning,” that Nordic idea that you should be the one to begin to downsize your possessions? That “döstädning” means that by the time you reach a ripe old age, you won’t leave behind mass quantities of possessions that your heirs have to deal with. Whichever it is, now is the time to set some goals and start that downsizing and clearing out.

Getting Rid of the Big Ticket Stuff

Whatever the reason, the process of shedding stuff can be really satisfying, especially when it comes to getting rid of higher-end possessions like a car, motorcycle, boat, RV or any other kind of vehicle. Donating those bigger-ticket items to an appropriate charity can have a real impact on helping others who are in less fortunate circumstances than your family; and that sort of large donation is tax deductible. The IRS guidelines allow you to claim a “fair market value” deduction for any vehicle you gift.

Artworks and jewelry are also things that you can donate and gain tax benefits with the IRS, but it is important to remember that your donations must go to a reputable charity like The Salvation Army or similar organizations.

Donating a vehicle to The Salvation Army, for example, means you help to fund their programs for individuals struggling to achieve self-sufficiency and housing stability as they overcome substance dependence, which is the number one cause of homelessness. Every year, that organization helps over 30 million Americans through a wide range of programs and services at their 7,500+ service centers. They also manage the largest network of No-Fee, Residential, Adult Rehab Programs in the United States, with 18 facilities in the Western U.S. providing nights of shelter to men and women in need.

Making a car donation (or a boat, RV or motorcycle donation) is a way to keep your charitable action on a local level, too, meaning that you’re actually helping your own community to thrive as you personally declutter your garage or driveway. A charity like The Salvation Army actually does all the work for you when it comes to the donation as well, from preparing the title transfer and other necessary paperwork for the transaction as well as providing a free tow away of your vehicle at your most convenient time. Your only work to make this kind of donation a real success is to make sure you claim the tax deduction for the year of your donation!

Moving Forward

Similar programs are in place for other big-ticket donations, meaning that the sooner you get the ball rolling toward your spring cleaning/decluttering/Swedish death cleaning goals for 2022, the sooner you’ll have a serene and uncluttered environment around you. Then perhaps it will be time to move forward to the next project that you may have been considering – like using feng shui principles to harmonize yourself with your uncluttered home environment. But that’s a story for another day.

Visit satruck.org/vehicle for more information on vehicle donation programs.

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