Yacht Donation Benefits Make-A-Wish Kids

Can you donate a yacht to charity? Yes, Wheels For Wishes accepts yachts and sailing vessels on a case-by-case basis, and the proceeds benefit local Make-A-Wish chapters. This page explains what donating ends for you, how brokers can bring us a vessel, what we can and can't accept, how we sell, how pickup works, and how the tax side works.

We work to get the most for every vehicle we accept, whether it's an everyday car or a yacht. If you're donating a car, truck, or smaller boat instead, the same care applies, and the steps at the bottom of this page work for you too.

Ending The Cost Of Owning A Vessel You're Trying To Sell

A yacht costs money every month it sits unsold, and the costs rise with the size of the vessel. A traditional listing can take many months, especially for an older vessel or one that needs work, and the bills continue the whole time.

Here is what keeps costing you while a vessel waits for a buyer:

• Marina or slip fees
• Insurance
• Routine maintenance and upkeep
• Winterization and seasonal preparation
• Haul-out and launch
• The time spent on showings, sea trials, and negotiations

Once we accept your donation and collect the vessel, those ongoing costs can end for you. That is often the strongest reason an owner chooses to donate, and it has nothing to do with taxes.

Donating also removes the uncertainty of a sale that can fall through. A buyer's financing, survey results, or sea trial can end a deal late in the process, and donation spares you that cycle.

Is Yacht Donation Right For You?

Donating a yacht fits owners who want to stop paying for a vessel they no longer use and who want it to benefit children facing critical illness. It also fits owners and brokers dealing with a listing that has stalled, especially for an older vessel or one that needs work.

It may not fit if you need the proceeds from a sale. When you donate, the proceeds benefit Make-A-Wish chapters rather than coming back to you, so a listing may suit your goals better in that case.

If you're unsure, call 1-855-278-9474 and talk it through with our team before you decide. A conversation about your vessel does not commit you to donating it.

For Yacht Brokers

Brokers carry listings that don't move because of market conditions, a vessel's age, or repair needs. A stalled listing can strain the relationship with your client. Donation gives you a way to close the file in your client's interest.

When Donation Makes Sense For A Client

Brokers often bring us a vessel in situations like these:

• A listing has run for many months without a serious buyer
• The vessel is older or needs work that the client doesn't want to fund
• The client is paying marina, insurance, and maintenance costs for a vessel they no longer use
• The client wants to close the chapter and support a cause

In each case, donation gives the client a clear way forward and keeps your relationship intact.

How To Bring Us A Vessel

Who to contact. Call 1-855-278-9474. A direct conversation is the best way to start a yacht donation, and your client can also donate online.

What we need. Have these details ready:

• The vessel's type, make, model, year, and length
• Its condition, including anything that doesn't work
• Its location and marina details
• Its title or documentation number
• Lien status
• A survey, if one exists
• Photographs

What happens next. We review the vessel on a case-by-case basis. If we can accept it, we talk through transport and next steps with you and your client, and the vessel is sold to benefit Make-A-Wish. After it sells, your client receives the tax form.

Your client is the donor, so questions about the tax side go to their own tax advisor. We can't give tax advice, and we can't promise a particular sale price or timeline, since every vessel is different.

What You Deduct When You Donate A Yacht

Your deduction is what your vehicle sells for. If it sells for $500 or less, you can generally claim its fair market value up to $500. Here, the vehicle is your yacht, and these rules apply to it exactly as they apply to a car.

Towing, auction and processing costs do not come out of your deduction. The 1098-C reports gross proceeds. For a box-by-box look, see the 1098-C that reports your sale price.

You can claim this only if you itemize deductions. We can't give tax advice, so talk to your own tax advisor. See what you can deduct for more.

Do You Need An Appraisal To Donate A Yacht?

No. You do not need a qualified appraisal, no matter what your vehicle sells for. Because we sell the yacht in an arm's length sale, the sale price is what sets your deduction.

The reason is simple. An appraisal is an opinion about what a vehicle would sell for, and we have what your yacht did sell for. There is nothing to estimate and nothing for you to defend.

Form 8283 For A Yacht Donation

If your deduction is more than $500, you file Form 8283, Section A. Section A applies at every value, including above $5,000. Attach your 1098-C to the Form 8283.

If you e-file, attach it as a PDF if your software allows it. If it doesn't, mail Copy B of the 1098-C with Form 8453.

Form 8283 has two halves. Section A is the short one. Section B is the long one, for donated property worth more than $5,000, and it is the one that requires a qualified appraisal and an appraiser's signature.

The heading printed on Section B of the form reads: "Section B. Donated Property Over $5,000 (Except Publicly Traded Securities, Vehicles, Intellectual Property or Inventory Reportable in Section A)." Vehicles are named in the exception, which is why you skip the appraisal when we sell your yacht.

Two Ways The Value Gets Proven

Both ways of valuing a donated vehicle use fair market value. The difference is how the number gets proven.

When we sell your yacht, an arm's length sale establishes the value. There is nothing to estimate, nothing to defend, and no appraisal for you to pay for.

Where a charity makes significant use of a vehicle or materially improves it before selling it, or gives it to a needy individual in furtherance of its mission, the sale no longer sets the number. The vehicle usually still gets sold in the end. What the donor deducts instead is fair market value, which is an appraiser's opinion.

Above $5,000, that means a qualified appraisal, which the donor pays for and carries the risk of the IRS disagreeing with. An appraisal estimates what a vehicle would sell for, while a sale shows what it did sell for. For the full picture, see vessels worth more than $5,000.

A Marine Survey Is Not An Appraisal

A marine survey is a condition and valuation report used to sell the vessel. A qualified appraisal is an IRS requirement that applies to the fair market value route, not to a donation we sell. We don't arrange an appraisal for your deduction, and a survey does not set your deduction.

Which Vessels May Qualify

We review sailing yachts, motor yachts, sport fishing vessels, trawlers, and other recreational vessels. Each one is considered on a case-by-case basis, and very large or specialized vessels may need additional coordination.

• Sailing yachts and sailboats
• Motor yachts
• Sport fishing vessels
• Trawlers
• Other recreational vessels

If you're not sure whether your vessel fits, call 1-855-278-9474 and describe it.

What We Can And Can't Accept

Not every vessel is accepted, and the deciding factor is usually whether we can move it. We review each yacht individually, and larger vessels are assessed case by case, with transport arranged to fit the vessel. For a yacht, the question is whether we can move it, not whether it fits on a trailer.

Size on its own is not a reason for us to say no. Being unable to move a vessel is. Other factors include location and marina access, condition, size, whether the title is clear, and whether a realistic sale exists.

If you have a smaller boat that travels on a trailer, see our page on smaller boats and powerboats, where a trailer is a requirement. A yacht is not the only vessel we welcome, and every donor gets the same respect for their time.

We set the bar clearly because it saves everyone time. It lets us focus on the vessels we can take and spares you the wait when we can't.

How We Sell A Yacht

Yachts are not sold the way cars are. We assess each vessel individually, and where it's warranted, we can use a marine survey to understand its condition. That survey is a selling tool.

The buyers for a yacht are a specific group, so we may use specialist channels such as brokers and marine sales platforms rather than a general auction. The process can take longer than a car sale, because yacht buyers typically do thorough due diligence.

Buyers look closely at a vessel's condition, maintenance history, documentation, and the results of a survey and sea trial. Complete records can help a sale go smoothly, which is one reason we ask for them up front.

Everything about the sale is aimed at a better price. A stronger sale means more for local Make-A-Wish chapters, and the sale price is also what your deduction is, if you take one. See how we sell higher-value vehicles for the full path from pickup to sale.

Free Pickup And Transport

If we accept your donation, we arrange pickup at no cost to you in the markets we serve. Our service isn't available everywhere, so call 1-855-278-9474 to find out whether we can reach your vessel.

Where your yacht sits changes how pickup works. A vessel in the water needs haul-out before it can travel overland, while one already on a trailer or cradle is simpler to move.

Moving a large vessel can involve haul-out and specialized marine transport. We coordinate that case by case, including custom arrangements when a vessel is outside our usual markets, and we'll tell you what's involved when you call.

Preparing Your Vessel For Pickup

Before pickup, we suggest the following:

• Remove personal belongings and valuables
• Gather the keys, ship's papers, and manuals
• Note any equipment that stays aboard and anything that doesn't work
• Photograph the vessel inside and out
• Confirm your marina's access and any rules for haul-out or departure
• Keep your insurance active until the vessel has been picked up

These steps are suggestions, not requirements, and we'll tell you what applies to your vessel when you call.

What Documentation You Need

Have these ready when you call:

• The title or the Coast Guard documentation number, as applicable
• The vessel's registration and hull identification number
• Lien information, since a lien must be cleared and released before we can accept a donation
• A survey, if one exists
• The vessel's location and marina details
• Service records and photographs, if you have them

Title and registration requirements vary by state and by vessel, so call us and we'll tell you what yours requires.

Coast Guard Documented Or State Titled?

Some yachts are documented with the U.S. Coast Guard, and others are titled and registered with a state. Which applies depends on the vessel and how it is registered, and the paperwork differs. Tell us which you have when you call, and we'll tell you what we need.

How Your Yacht Donation Helps Make-A-Wish Kids

Proceeds benefit local Make-A-Wish chapters. A wish gives a child facing a critical illness a break from routine medical treatment and an experience they can cherish for the rest of their lives.

Make-A-Wish wishes typically fall into five categories: to go, to meet, to be, to have, and to give. A wish might be a trip to Paris, a day as a zookeeper, a meeting with a favorite athlete, or a puppy.

Wishes come in every shape and size. Areice's wish was to become a pirate, and three-year-old Bryce wished for a pool.

Those wishes reach children in communities across the country. Since 2010, Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes has donated over $125 million, and we have helped grant over 14,673 wishes. Donated vehicles of every kind make wishes possible, from everyday cars to yachts.

Start Your Yacht Donation

Donating a yacht takes three steps.

Step One: Call Us

Call 1-855-278-9474 and tell us about your vessel, including its type, size, condition, and location. We recommend calling so we can talk it through, and you can also start your yacht donation online.

Step Two: We Review And Arrange Pickup

Our team reviews your vessel, and if we can accept it, we contact you to arrange pickup and transport. Every yacht is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Step Three: Your Yacht Is Sold

After your yacht sells, we send your tax form within 30 days. The proceeds benefit local Make-A-Wish chapters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I donate a sailboat or sailing yacht?

Yes, you can offer a sailing yacht, sailboat, motor yacht, or other vessel, and we review every donation individually. Call 1-855-278-9474 to find out whether we can accept yours.

Does my yacht need to be on a trailer?

No. For a larger vessel, the question is whether we can move it, not whether it fits on a trailer.

Do I need an appraisal to donate a yacht?

No. You do not need a qualified appraisal, no matter what your vehicle sells for, because the sale price is what sets your deduction.

What is the difference between a marine survey and an appraisal?

A marine survey is a condition and valuation report used to sell the vessel. A qualified appraisal is an IRS requirement for the fair market value route, and it does not apply to a donation we sell.

Can I donate a yacht that needs repairs?

Possibly. Condition is one of the factors we consider, and every vessel is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Call 1-855-278-9474 and describe what the vessel needs.

Can my broker arrange the donation?

Brokers can bring us a vessel for a client. Your client is the donor, so tax questions go to their own tax advisor.

How long does it take to sell a yacht?

It depends on the vessel and the market, and it can take longer than a car sale. We can't promise a timeline.

What if there is a lien on my yacht?

A lien must be cleared and released before we can accept a donation. Call 1-855-278-9474 and we'll talk through your situation.

Can I donate a yacht that is still in the water?

Yes, a vessel in the water can be considered. Haul-out and transport are coordinated case by case once we've reviewed it.

Will I receive a tax form?

After your yacht sells, we send your tax form within 30 days. You can claim this only if you itemize deductions, and we can't give tax advice, so talk to your own tax advisor.

Where does the money go?

Proceeds benefit local Make-A-Wish chapters. Car Donation Foundation, which does business as Wheels For Wishes, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.