can a retired person donate a car and file for taxes?

Question

my dad has a 1994 car that he wants to donate but he says he can't because he is retired and he doesn't file taxes anymore, what can he do?

Answer 1

if  he collects social security benefits - he should be filing a tax return - those benefits are taxable - does he have any other income like interest or pension? those are taxable also.

Answer 2

If he doesn't have to file taxes, or even if he did but didn't have any tax liability, a charitable donation wouldn't give him any tax benefit.  Even if he did have tax liability, there would be no tax benefit unless he had enough deductions to itemize.  

A donation can only reduce your tax - since his is already zero, there's nothing to reduce.

That doesn't stop him from donating the car, just means he doesn't get a tax benefit for it.

Answer 3

He can sell the car and donate the money--the charity would get more money that way....

(By the way, he can't sell the car to you for $1 and have you donate it, because if he did, your deduction would be limited to $1.)