Trade it in or sell it separately?
A dealer has to resell or scrap a junk trade-in, and the trade-in value usually reflects that. Selling the old car on its own gives you a separate number you can compare, and you can still trade in a car that runs well if the dealer's offer is better.
For a rough idea of what a non-running car is worth in metal and parts, try the value calculator. The offer itself comes from our buyer partner.
Is cash from selling a junk car taxable?
For most people selling a personal car, no. You usually sell a used car for less than you paid, so there's no gain to report. Your situation can differ, especially if you're a dealer or used the car for business, so ask a tax professional if you're unsure.
If you were thinking of donating the car instead, read how car donation deductions work first. For a car worth a few hundred dollars, cash is often the better result.
Does tax season bring more people looking to sell a car?
About as many as usual: from February to April, interest in "sell my car" on Google Trends averaged 72.7, level with its yearly average of 72.7.
Inside that stretch it climbs from 70.4 in February to 74.1 in March. Searches for "cash for cars", measured in a separate request on a different scale, jump from 12.0 in January to 13.8 in February, the largest monthly rise for that term all year.
Selling works the same way in every season, and the how it works page walks through each step.
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