Goodwill donation values for tax deductions are set by fair market value, which for used clothing and household goods means the price a thrift store would actually charge for the item in its current condition, not what you paid at retail. You can only claim the write-off if you itemize on Schedule A, and starting in tax year 2026 you also have to subtract 0.5% of your adjusted gross income from your total charitable giving before the deduction counts. The ranges below come from Goodwill’s own valuation guide and reflect typical resale prices.
Fair Market Value Ranges by Category
The IRS points to prices at consignment and thrift shops as the best indicator of what used clothing and household goods are worth.1Internal Revenue Service. Publication 561 – Determining the Value of Donated Property Where an item falls within a range depends on brand, age, and visible wear.
Clothing and Accessories
- Shirts and blouses: $2–$12
- Sweaters: $5–$15
- T-shirts: $1–$6
- Dress pants: $2–$15
- Jeans: $4–$21
- Shorts: $1–$9
- Skirts: $2–$12
- Everyday dresses: $3–$17
- Evening wear: $10–$30
- Two-piece suits: $5–$30
- Coats: $7–$40
- Blazers and sport coats: $6–$12
- Shoes and sneakers: $4–$9
- Boots: $6–$18
- Handbags: $3–$9
- Leather belts: $5–$15
Household Items and Electronics
- Coffee makers: $4–$15
- Lamps: $4–$12
- Radios: $2–$15
- DVD players: $8–$15
- Computer monitors: $5–$50
- Printers: $5–$150
- Complete computer systems: $50–$250
- Pots and pans: $1–$3 each
- Plates: $0.50–$3 each
- Glasses and mugs: $0.50–$1.50 each
Furniture and Bedding
- Sofas: $30–$150
- Desks: $30–$60
- Dressers: $20–$60
- Kitchen or dinette sets: $40–$100
- End tables: $4–$20
- Coffee tables: $10–$12
- Chairs: $5–$15
- Blankets and afghans: $2–$15
- Quilts and bedspreads: $8–$24
- Sheets and mattress pads: $2–$6
Picking a Number Within the Range
The IRS defines fair market value as the price a willing buyer and a willing seller would agree on, with neither under pressure and both aware of the relevant facts.1Internal Revenue Service. Publication 561 – Determining the Value of Donated Property For everyday donations that translates into thrift store pricing. A coat a local shop would tag at $15 is worth roughly $15 to you, whatever it cost new.
Clothing valuation doesn’t lend itself to a single formula. The IRS suggests weighing original cost, sales of comparable items, replacement cost, and expert opinions when relevant.1Internal Revenue Service. Publication 561 – Determining the Value of Donated Property For most household goods the fastest check is searching resale sites for what the same item actually sold for.
One caution on jewelry: don’t use an insurance appraisal as your value. Insurance figures reflect replacement cost, which is almost always higher than what a buyer would pay on the open market.2Internal Revenue Service. Publication 561 – Determining the Value of Donated Property Jewelry, gems, paintings, antiques, and collections are also excluded from the “household items” category and face different appraisal rules.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 170 – Charitable, etc., Contributions and Gifts
Items Must Be in Good Used Condition
Every donated clothing item and household good has to be in “good used condition or better” to qualify for any deduction. That rule sits in the tax code itself.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 170 – Charitable, etc., Contributions and Gifts Heavily worn, stained, torn, or broken items don’t meet the standard. The IRS can also deny deductions for items of “minimal monetary value” even when they aren’t damaged. A stained blanket or a sofa with torn cushions belongs at the bottom of a range or off the list entirely.
Will the Deduction Actually Help You?
Goodwill donations only reduce your tax bill if your total itemized deductions clear the standard deduction. For 2026 the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, and $24,150 for heads of household. Taxpayers 65 and older can add $2,050 (single) or $1,650 per qualifying spouse (joint).4Internal Revenue Service. IRS Releases Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2026
A few bags of clothing worth $100 to $300 won’t get you past those numbers on their own. Goodwill donations start to matter when they sit alongside mortgage interest, state and local taxes, or significant medical expenses. If your itemized total falls short, take the standard deduction and skip the write-off.
Beginning in 2026, itemizers face a second hurdle. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, you must reduce your total charitable contributions by 0.5% of your adjusted gross income before claiming the deduction. On $80,000 of AGI that’s $400 shaved off the top. Someone dropping $300 of clothing at Goodwill could see the entire charitable deduction disappear.
The same law added a deduction for people who take the standard deduction: up to $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for joint filers. It applies to cash contributions only, not donated property. If your only giving is bags at Goodwill, that new deduction doesn’t reach you, and you still have to itemize to get any benefit.
When you do itemize, charitable gifts go on Schedule A of Form 1040.5Internal Revenue Service. Charitable Contributions
Receipts and the Inventory to Keep
The IRS will deny a deduction you can’t prove. Get a written receipt from Goodwill at drop-off that shows the charity’s name, the date, and a description of what you donated. Goodwill hands out a blank receipt and expects you to fill in the details and values yourself. That’s normal; the charity isn’t responsible for appraising your goods.
For any single donation of $250 or more you also need a written acknowledgment from the charity before you file your return, or by the due date including extensions, whichever comes first. The acknowledgment must state whether the organization gave you any goods or services in exchange.6Internal Revenue Service. Publication 1771 – Charitable Contributions Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements For a typical drop-off where you received nothing back, it should say so.
Keep your own inventory too. List each item, note the condition, and record the value you’re claiming. Photograph furniture and electronics before they leave the house. Keep everything for at least three years from the date you file the return; if you underreported income by more than 25%, the audit window stretches to six years.7Internal Revenue Service. How Long Should I Keep Records
When You Need Form 8283
If your total noncash donations for the year exceed $500, you must file Form 8283 with your return.8Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions Totals of $500 or less go straight onto Schedule A with no extra form.
Which section of Form 8283 you complete depends on value:
- Section A covers individual items or groups of similar items valued between $501 and $5,000. You describe the property, enter the contribution date, state how you acquired the items, and report cost and fair market value. The IRS suggests entering “Thrift shop value” as the valuation method for clothing and household goods.9Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 8283
- Section B covers items or groups valued above $5,000 and requires a qualified appraisal, a signed appraiser declaration, and a signed acknowledgment from the receiving charity.9Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 8283
For claimed values of $500 or less per item, the acquisition date, method, and original cost columns don’t have to be filled in.10Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 8283 – Noncash Charitable Contributions Typical Goodwill donors stay well under the $5,000 line, so the qualified appraisal rules almost never come into play for clothing and household goods.
Vehicles Follow Different Rules
Donating a car to Goodwill is not valued from the chart. When the charity sells a donated vehicle for more than $500, your deduction is limited to the gross sale proceeds, not Kelley Blue Book or private-party value.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 170 – Charitable, etc., Contributions and Gifts If the charity auctions your car for $1,800, that’s your deduction.
The charity must send you Form 1098-C within 30 days of the sale, and you have to attach a copy to your return to claim any deduction over $500.11Internal Revenue Service. Form 1098-C – Contributions of Motor Vehicles, Boats, and Airplanes Without it, the IRS disallows the deduction. For vehicles sold for $500 or less, you can claim the smaller of fair market value or $500. If the charity actually uses the vehicle in its operations or makes significant improvements before selling, you may deduct full fair market value, but most charities sell donated vehicles quickly at wholesale.
What You Cannot Deduct
Some things that feel charitable don’t qualify. You can’t deduct the value of your time or personal services, even if you volunteer regularly at a Goodwill store.12Internal Revenue Service. Publication 526 – Charitable Contributions Blood donations aren’t deductible either. And donations only count when they go to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations; you can confirm status through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.5Internal Revenue Service. Charitable Contributions Goodwill Industries qualifies. Handing items to a neighbor, a political group, or a for-profit thrift store does not.