NAPERVILLE, IL — Gerald Hutchins, 52, donated his 2009 Honda Accord to a charitable organization in December specifically to reduce his tax liability, a plan that tax professionals this week confirmed has resulted in Gerald owing an additional $1,340 to the federal government.

Hutchins, who described his strategy as “basically free money,” says he spent approximately eleven hours researching the deduction on YouTube before donating the vehicle, which the charity subsequently sold at auction for $340 — $4,160 less than the fair market value Gerald had self-assessed using a methodology his accountant described only as “vibes.”

“I watched four videos,” Hutchins told reporters. “All four of them said this was a great move. None of them mentioned a Form 8283, a qualified appraisal requirement, or what happens when the charity sells the car for less than two percent of what you claimed.”

“Gerald did the thing where you learn just enough to feel confident and not quite enough to be correct.”

His accountant, Renee Castellano, 44, of Naperville Tax Partners, confirmed she had advised Gerald against the plan in a November email he described as “kind of long.”

“I support charitable giving,” Castellano said in a statement. “I support it sincerely, from the heart, without a spreadsheet.”

The Honda, for its part, has reportedly been resold twice and is currently running well.

At press time, Hutchins had begun researching whether he could deduct the cost of the YouTube Premium subscription he used to watch the original videos.