Donation Values & FAQ
Your donation is valuable — to you, and to your community.
When you give your gently used items to Goodwill, you’re not only supporting an important mission. You’re also making a tax-deductible donation.
How to place a value on your donation
The IRS requires donors to determine the value of their donations for tax purposes. The value is not the original purchase price, but the estimated resale value or replacement cost in its current condition.
To help you determine those values, we have created a valuation guide that lists price ranges for common donation items.
However, the rules governing valuation, substantiation, recordkeeping and reporting are complex. We suggest you visit the following IRS links to download IRS Publication 526 and IRS Publication 561 and/or consult a tax advisor.
Donation FAQs
No. The IRS requires the donor to assign values. Some acceptable methods are estimated resale value, replacement cost or qualified appraisal. Regardless of the method used, you should consider the age, condition, quality, style and use of the donated articles.
When you donate, Goodwill will provide you with a receipt. It will note the date and location of the donation. You must fill in the items donated and the value. In many cases, our donors request valuation assistance from a tax advisor at a later date, so you should make item descriptions as specific as possible (particularly concerning quality, age, and condition).
We are no longer providing paper receipts. Instead, you can print out a copy of the donation receipt by visiting our Donation Receipt and Feedback page.
Goodwill’s Tax ID # is 06-0662111.
If the total deduction for noncash charitable contributions is $500 or less, you may claim the entire amount on Schedule A. If the total is more than $500, you will need to fill out the applicable sections of Form 8283 to support your Schedule A amount.
Yes. Fortunately, Goodwill donation receipts meet all the additional documentation requirements.
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