Title 26 — Internal Revenue CodeRelease 119-73not60

§6720 Fraudulent Acknowledgments with Respect to Donations of Motor Vehicles, Boats, and Airplanes

Title 26 › Subtitle Subtitle F— Procedure and Administration › Chapter 68— ADDITIONS TO THE TAX, ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS, AND ASSESSABLE PENALTIES › Subchapter B— Assessable Penalties › Part I— GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 6720

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Charitable groups that must give a written, same-day receipt when someone donates a car, boat, or airplane will be fined if they knowingly give a false receipt or knowingly fail to give the required receipt with the needed information and timing. If the donated vehicle is one handled under the special sale rule, the fine is the larger of (a) the highest tax rate in section 1 times the sales price shown on the receipt, or (b) the total money received from selling the vehicle. For other donated vehicles, the fine is the larger of (a) the highest tax rate in section 1 times the claimed value, or (b) $5,000.

Full Legal Text

Title 26, §6720

Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Any donee organization required under section 170(f)(12)(A) to furnish a contemporaneous written acknowledgment to a donor which knowingly furnishes a false or fraudulent acknowledgment, or which knowingly fails to furnish such acknowledgment in the manner, at the time, and showing the information required under section 170(f)(12), or regulations prescribed thereunder, shall for each such act, or for each such failure, be subject to a penalty equal to—

(1)in the case of an acknowledgment with respect to a qualified vehicle to which section 170(f)(12)(A)(ii) applies, the greater of—

(A)the product of the highest rate of tax specified in section 1 and the sales price stated on the acknowledgment, or

(B)the gross proceeds from the sale of such vehicle, and

(2)in the case of an acknowledgment with respect to any other qualified vehicle to which section 170(f)(12) applies, the greater of—

(A)the product of the highest rate of tax specified in section 1 and the claimed value of the vehicle, or

(B)$5,000.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section applicable to contributions made after Dec. 31, 2004, see section 884(c) of Pub. L. 108–357, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2004

Amendments

note under section 170 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

26 U.S.C. § 6720

Title 26 — Internal Revenue Code

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60