if i donate a car today will i be able to claim it on this years tax returns?

There are a lot of people who choose to buy a used car rather than a brand new one these days. There are plenty of reasons for this as well. A brand new car loses value as soon as it is driven off of the lot. Even if someone purchases the vehicle and only drives a hundred miles or so, the depreciation could easily be in the thousands. Typically a new car loses around 15% to 20% in the first year alone. Honda and Toyota vehicles retain a bit more value due to the fact that they are such popular cars.

A used car is a wise choice if you want to save money and there are several options that you can pick from when going about shopping for one.

Finding a good quality used car, van or truck is a great alternative for many people who just do not want to spend the kind of money on a brand new vehicle from a car dealer.
Although there are plenty of car dealerships in New Jersey that would be glad to take your money, you need to be careful and you should do some research before you make your purchase.

There are plenty of reputable used car dealers in NJ that have cars of all price ranges and models on their lot. Many have been traded in by others for newer or brand new cars and trucks. Others may have been on the lot from the previous year and are still new but are discounted.

The good news about going to a car dealer in New Jersey is that since 2006 car dealers in NJ have to abide by a strict set of ethical laws approved by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission that govern the way licensed auto dealers can do business. The new laws have effectively eliminated "phantom dealerships" and have helped track dealer plates and state inspection stickers. In addition, no car can be traded without a valid title. New Jersey also has a Lemon Law which clearly defines the rights of a car buyer and the legal obligations of both the car dealer and the manufacturer as well.

But even with all of this in place, you still may want to hire a trusted mechanic to go with you and to inspect any car you are considering for purchase. Although most car dealerships are trustworthy, some are not.

Aside from car dealers, there are other places where you can look for a used car. There are ads on the internet where people can list their cars for sale, such as craigslist and other local online directories or websites. Just be cautious and ask plenty of questions as to the history of the vehicles and about accidents and prior repairs.

You can use CarFax and get a report from them which usually will give you more information than you can get from some private sellers, who just do not want to volunteer every bit of information about their car's history.

Another option is to look in your local town for the auction of cars that are impounded by the police. It is not always easy to find out about these auctions but there are sometimes ads in the local papers or you can just ask directly at the police station or at city hall. These auctions usually attract local used car dealers and they can often outbid you but it's worth checking out.