This notice generally is effective for contributions made on or after January 1, 2005. However, the following transition rules are provided. A contemporaneous written acknowledgment that is obtained on or before July 3, 2005, will be treated as satisfying the requirements of § 170(f)(12)(A) if the acknowledgment contains all of the information specified in § 170(f)(12)(B), even if the acknowledgment does not include the date the qualified vehicle is sold (as required by section 3.03(2) of this notice), or a detailed description of the intended significant intervening use or material improvement by the donee organization (as required by section 3.03(3) of this notice). In the case of contributions described in section 3.02(3) of this notice regarding qualified vehicles sold at a price significantly below fair market value (or gratuitously transferred) to needy individuals, the requirement of section 3.03(4) of this notice that an acknowledgment contain the information described in that section is effective for contributions made on or after January 1, 2005. For such contributions made on or before September 1, 2005, the acknowledgment must be obtained by the donor on or before October 1, 2005.

Pursuant to § 170(f)(12)(F), the Service and the Treasury Department have determined that it is appropriate to provide donors an extension of time to obtain the contemporaneous written acknowledgment required by § 170(f)(12)(A). Therefore, for contributions made on or before September 1, 2005, a written acknowledgment will be considered contemporaneous for purposes of § 170(f)(12)(C) if it is obtained within the time specified in § 170(f)(12)(C) or, if later, on or before October 1, 2005.

A donee organization may provide an acknowledgment to a donor containing the information required under § 170(f)(12) in any reasonable manner. The Service and the Treasury Department will be providing Form 1098-C for reporting to the Service the information required to be reported under § 170(f)(12)(D). A copy of Form 1098-C may be used by a donee organization to provide a contemporaneous written acknowledgment to a donor pursuant to § 170(f)(12).

Section 6720 imposes penalties on any donee organization that knowingly fails to furnish an acknowledgment within the time required under § 170(f)(12) or the regulations thereunder. See section 7.03 of this notice. A donee organization that provides a contemporaneous written acknowledgment that is treated as contemporaneous under sections 8.01 and 8.02 of this notice will be treated as having furnished the acknowledgment within the time required under § 170(f)(12) for purposes of § 6720.