Does anyone use a local AAC specialist who does not work for
ALSA (or for the lending library) as an appraiser?
From: Antoinette Verdone
<xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: [Assistive Technology] Who
Appraises Donated AAC/AT Equipment?
To: xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date:
Monday, June 15, 2009, 9:28 AM
If you can get
another vendor to sign the tax form, that is great, but I have not found
any vendors willing to do this.
Here is an
appraiser that I found that does this type of appraisal. I know a
couple families that have used him to value used power wheelchair that we
still valued at over $5000 (the amount which you need an official
appraiser.) If the chair is still in good condition, he will do the
appraisal over the phone with pictures.
Bernard M. Sencer,
ASA, AAA, President
Sencer Appraisal
Associates, Inc.
92 Reid
Ave.
Port
Washington, NY
11050
Tele: (516)
944-9456
Cell: (516)
729-7884
FAX: (516)
767-2112
Email:
xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.AllEquipmentAppraisal.com
Antoinette
Verdone, MSBME, ATP
Assistive
Technology Specialist
The ALS
Association, Greater New York Chapter
NEW
ADDRESS:
42 Broadway, Suite
1724
New
York, NY
10004
Fax:
212-619-7409
Email: xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx
www.als-ny.org
"One cannot
consent to creep when one has the impulse to soar" -- Helen
Keller
From:
xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Wright, Amy
Sent: Saturday, June 13, 2009 1:23 PM
To: ' xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
'
Subject: RE: [Assistive
Technology] Who Appraises Donated AAC/AT
Equipment?
Amy,
I’m glad
you brought this up as I, too, have been struggling to come up with a good
way to deal with the appraisal issue. What we do now is send out a
thank you letter that lists equipment donated with the following blurb
– “Please keep this letter as an acknowledgement of your
donation for tax purposes and confirmation that no goods or services were
provided in exchange for your contribution”. I have recently
started to include info about how to figure fair market value. See
below - still needs tweaking - I am open to any/all suggestions!
If folks call and
ask for help with 3rd party estimates, we try to help by putting
them in touch with another vendor who is willing/able to look at the
equipment (usually power wheelchairs) and sign off as appraiser on IRS form
8283. We’ve also put together an appraisal template letter for
3rd party vendors to complete if requested. If possible,
we inform folks of IRS appraisal requirements before they donate equipment as that is obviously more
appropriate than having the appraisal done once the equipment is in our
loaner closet.
Here’s a
link to IRS publication “Determine the Value of Donated
Property”: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p561.pdf. It’s
a good resource.
How to Figure
Fair Market Value for Equipment Donations:
The Carolinas Neuromuscular/ALS-MDA Center does not
provide individual tax advice, and nothing contained in this announcement
should be construed as tax advice. As the recipient of your donation, we
are very appreciative of your generosity however we are unable to estimate
the fair market value of any items donated. The following
instructions are provided as a basic guideline:
1. If you are
donating used equipment or supplies, claim the price that buyers of such
used items actually pay in stores such as consignment or thrift stores or
on websites such as craigslist or eBay.
2. Consult a
website that lists values for similar makes and models if you are donating
durable medical equipment such as power wheelchairs or communication
devices.
3. Keep an
itemized receipt for the items, regardless of whether they are worth $25 or
$250, to protect yourself in case you are ever audited. This letter
may serve as a receipt. Keep in mind that under IRS guidelines, items
must be in good used condition or better to be deductible.
4. Attach Internal Revenue Service Form 8283 to your
return, giving the name and address of the recipient organization, a
description of the property contributed, the date the property was
acquired, how the property was acquired and its fair market value if the
gift's value is over $500.
5. Get an
independent (3rd party) qualified appraisal if the value exceeds
$5,000.
If you have any
questions, please feel free to contact our center at (800)
924-7620
Many
Thanks,
Carolinas Neuromuscular/ALS-MDA
Center
Speech-Language Pathologist
Carolinas Neuromuscular/ALS-MDA Center
(704)
355-0867
From:
xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Amy Roman
Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 23:52
To:
xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Assistive Technology] Who Appraises Donated
AAC/AT Equipment?
Those are great ideas.
Thanks.
Sincerely,
Amy Roman, MS, CCC-SLP
Augmentative
Communication Specialist
Forbes Norris ALS Research Center
2324
Sacramento Street
San Francisco , CA 94115
P (415)600-1263
F
(415)673-5184
CONFIDENTIAL OR PRIVILEGED: This communication
contains information
intended only for the use of the individuals to
whom it is addressed
and may contain information that is privileged,
confidential or exempt from other disclosure under applicable law. If you
are not the intended
recipient, you are notified that any disclosure,
printing, copying,
distribution or use of the contents is prohibited. If
you have
received this in error, please notify the sender immediately
by telephone or by returning it by reply email and then permanently
deleting the communicationfrom your system.
Thank you.
--- On Fri,
6/12/09, pamela mathy <xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
From: pamela mathy
<xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Assistive Technology] Who
Appraises Donated AAC/AT Equipment?
To: xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date:
Friday, June 12, 2009, 6:11 PM
I don't have an 'official' IRS answer--but
a few ideas to research.
1. The equipment manufacturer is not an employee of
the donee and could, in fact be considered a very uninterested appraiser.
Certainly, the manufacturer would be in the best position to
determine the "fair market value" of the device, and give you an
appraisal, right?
2. Another thing that may be worthwhile is to have
your agency invest in a consultation from a tax atty. These guys are
trained to interpret the complicated tax law and it would probably be a
good idea to get their opinion on any donation-tax write off/appraisal plan
you develop. They are not cheap, but if you find a nice one, he or she may
give you bargain price or do it probono.
3. Another idea is to find a nice appraiser in your
area who will tell you how "fair market value" is determined" and would be
willing to review the research that the family puts together
using these instructions and stamp it appraised, for a smaller
fee than if he had to do all of the research. My hunch is that the way
"fair market value" is determined is similar to an appraisal on a house,
compare it to comparables. I have heard that people try to sell AAC devices
on Ebay, so this would be one source of "comps". Another would be state
Assistive Tech Websites. So the family would prepare the paper trail with
info on the cost of the same or a similar device and then the appraiser
would review it, add a quick report, sign it and Viola! Cheap appraisal.
A final comment--it is good you are sharing the
information about the tax laws regarding donations and who can appraise.
I'll admit I have done them myself in the past using plan number 1 in
ignorance of the law.
I hope some of these ideas are helpful.
On the IRS form for donated equipment is states
that the appraiser can not be the donee or an employee of the donee.
That removes me from the short list for appraising the donations that come
into our lending library since I work for the library.
Who do other lending
libraries use to do appraisals?
Over the years I have learned that the perk of the
tax donation is what actually motivates many people to donate AAC/AT
equipment (hence the influx of donations accompanied by requests for
donation receipts at tax time).
I know that many centers just tell people that they
are on their own for appraisals but we would really like to make it easier
for people and in doing so receive more equipment donations. Telling
people they have to get equipment appraised on their own means they won't
be able to find anyone and they lose interest in donating. Thanks for
your ideas.
Sincerely,
Amy Roman, MS,
CCC-SLP
Augmentative Communication Specialist
Forbes Norris ALS
Research Center
2324 Sacramento Street
San Francisco , CA 94115
P
(415)600-1263
F (415)673-5184
CONFIDENTIAL OR PRIVILEGED:
This communication contains information
intended only for the use of the
individuals to whom it is addressed
and may contain information that is
privileged, confidential or exempt from other disclosure under applicable
law. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are notified that any
disclosure, printing, copying,
distribution or use of the contents is
prohibited. If you have
received this in error, please notify the
sender immediately by telephone or by returning it by reply email and then
permanently deleting the communicationfrom your system.
Thank
you.
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