Thumbs Up: Year-end Tax Tips

First tip:

Second tip:

It's that time again, time to scurryabout for last-minute holiday giftsand last-minute tax savings. If you've been thinking about givingan old car to charity, do it before theend of the year. Donate a car beforeJanuary 1 and you can deduct the fairmarket value of the car. After that,the maximum write-off will be whatthe charity actually sells the car for,which could be a lot less. The newrule applies to several modes of transport,including boats, planes, andmotor vehicles, if they are worthmore than $500. If youhave stock that has gone up in value,think about giving it to a favoritecharity. You receive a double benefit:You can write off the full marketvalue of the stock and you avoid payingany tax on the capital gains.