Latest responses to “Tax deductions: What is your clothing donation valued at?” Copyright 2013, MoneyBlueBook.com 469630 2011-03-06T16:01:54-08:00 Lisa Kay Thank you to Jan Roberg for taking the time to provide us with your expert advice. The $5,450 for itemized deductions information was what I needed to spare me the time and effort of proceeding with the detailed list. Your time and effort to do so is greatly appreciated. : ) 434280 2010-12-21T05:42:50-08:00 Indrek I would like to get donations, they need clothes, no money to buy: ( If anyone has a chance to give away used clothing, please contact me by e-mail! I am very thank you Indrek1978@msn.com 434290 2010-10-19T09:05:36-07:00 Jon I am about to donate 350 brand new shirts with the MSRP tags still on to Children's Hospital. I am a student (don't pay tuition because of scholarship) and only work part-time and rent an apartment. When I file my taxes every year, I do not have to pay any expenses or tax. I receive money back from the government. Should I still try and deduct these clothings and how will that work? I paid only $1500 for these clothings (still have tags on) and it has an MSRP worth over $100,000. 434210 2010-10-14T13:41:08-07:00 Karen I donate on a regular basis. I just went to both the Goodwill site and the Salvation Army website for their valuations. I like Goodwills better. its easier to read and is printable. (and where I have my receipts from). I moved and made lots of trips. Was it worth it? Absolutly! I love knowing what I am using can be used by another person. Oh and the valuation added up to a tune of 1,582 dollars. Depending on the tax bracket thats over $400 tax savings. I took the higher value on most things. Nine dollars for a $150 pair of shoes, for example, but middle values for tees and jeans those dont tend to be expensive or very fashionable. I have never taken photos of things. How about photographing the list on the pile of clothes, or the bags as you are dropping them off. The time stamp on the photo does the rest. Give your things while they are good condition so they will sell. ( I shop there too, even though thats not deductible). Your income does not have to be that high. If your expenses are higher than the standard deduction it serves you to itemize. Major medical expenses can easily put you over. 434270 2010-10-12T14:20:24-07:00 Maria L I would like to make a huge donation of clothing and other various items to your foundation. However, i would like to know how to go about 1) getting picked up from our home 2) how do we get a tax write off slip to claim at tax time. What items do you NOT take? I would appreciate if you could let me know. Thank you for your time. 434260 2010-08-25T16:28:44-07:00 Lynn Your income has to be rather high to even be able to use this deduction however. 434250 2010-07-25T20:42:35-07:00 Common Cents Common Sense must be used. If you go to the charity and shop for clothes, you will understand the value of your donation. Underwear, 50 cents, pants $1.00, suits $10,00, dress $5-$10. Prom gowns $30.00 if valued over $150.00. You at best could estimate the value of your donation at 10%-25% of its value when new. You must itemize the items on the standard IRS form" Charitable Contributions" if you go over the maximun amount allowed for the reporting year as noted in the IRS publication for 2011..12..13...14. If you declare more then 10% of your adjusted income, you will be audited. So my friendssss, if you are donating hundreds of dollars in "clothes" you better itemize its value and you better record it. Realize, those precious shoes you paid 60 bucks for ,,,,,are now worth at most $6.00. You have the responsibility to record in writing your charitable contributions as noted each and every year, and to fill out the standard IRS reporting form each year. For 2010, you were allowed $250.00 for church and charity. Anything over that you must itemize..... 434240 2010-07-20T00:33:48-07:00 Holler Is it or is it not much more advantageous from a deduction standpoint to donate to a religious organization due to the percentage allowed for the deduction? A religious deduction is 100%. 434220 2010-06-01T14:04:25-07:00 dragons4 Instead of Goodwill or Salvation Army, you can donate to the Vietnam Veterans' of America. They take clothing, shoes, household items, small appliances, tools, small furniture. In my area, you call to schedule a pick-up and they come to your house. I bag the items in bags (I happen to have clear bin liners) and label them for VVA - I also sort similar items and bag and label (ie women's clothing, men's clothing, household items). I have a protected area to leave the bags in case of inclement weather. If you request a receipt for charitable donation, they will leave one No affiliation - I used to save stuff up and take it to a local Salvation Army... but they closed. The VVA is so convient - call and they come get it!! 434230 2010-05-17T15:46:36-07:00 Jan Roberg Hey, now that it's garage sale season, remember--whatever you don't sell, you're probably going to give to charity. Take a few minutes to write down what you're donating now while it's fresh in your mind. And don't forget to get a receipt.