Charitable Donation Value Calculator: 2026 Fair Market Values

If you donated clothing, furniture, or household items to charity and need to estimate what they're worth for your taxes, you need fair market values.

The IRS defines fair market value, or FMV, this way: "FMV is the price that property would sell for on the open market. It is the price that would be agreed on between a willing buyer and a willing seller, with neither being required to act, and both having reasonable knowledge of the relevant facts" (IRS Publication 561). In practice, for used household goods, that usually means what an item would fetch at a thrift store or used marketplace.

Charity Record has a built-in FMV database with 1,846 common donated items in its 2026 guide. If your items are in "good used condition or better" (the IRS's standard for clothing and household goods in Publication 526), you can search by name and find estimated values, with up to three value tiers per item. The values are based on thrift store and comparable sales data, and they're available on any account, including Charity Record's free tier.

Search by item name to find 2026 fair market value estimates

Who are 'we'?

We're Charity Record, a donation tracking tool for U.S. taxpayers built after Intuit shut down ItsDeductible in 2025. We track seven donation types (items, cash, mileage, stock, vehicles, digital assets, and art) and export to CSV, PDF, HTML, and TXF for tax software. See how Charity Record compares as an ItsDeductible alternative.

Our FMV database helps people estimate values for common items. Of course, these are starting points for your records, not appraisals or tax advice. You're responsible for the values you claim, but we'll help you get started.

What's in the 2026 guide

We rebuild our FMV estimate guide for each tax year. The 2026 guide has:

• 1,846 items with suggested values (up from 1,757 in 2025).
• Up to three value tiers per item (Excellent, High, and Medium).
• 983 search aliases, helping more searches find the corresponding guide entry. Searching "Boppy" returns Nursing Pillow, and "Dust Ruffle" returns Bed Skirt.
• 16,877 price observations from 183 published sources across 113 publisher families.

Our how the FMV guide works article explains the methodology, the three value tiers, and when the guide may be inappropriate (or incomplete) for a particular item.

How the FMV database works

When you add an item donation in Charity Record:

1. Type your item's name in the search field (e.g., "men's jacket" or "blender"), or browse by category to work through a box at a time
2. Browse results showing the item description and the value tiers available for it
3. Pick the closest match, compare the available tiers with your item's condition, brand or quality, and relevant market evidence, then set the quantity. Override the estimate with your own value if appropriate.
4. If nothing matches, you can add a custom item with your own value and a note about how you determined it.

The database includes common donated items priced from thrift-store observations, comparable used sales, and documented adjustments. You can read more about the process here. If you add a custom item, you can also submit it for consideration in a future version of the FMV database.

Pick the closest match, set quantities by value tier, and see the total

What the IRS says about valuing donations

There are a few rules to keep in mind when valuing donated items. For the full breakdown, see our understanding fair market value guide and IRS Publication 561.

Use what buyers would actually pay. A shirt you bought for $50 might sell for $4 at your local Goodwill. $4 is the FMV, not $50.

Condition matters. IRS Publication 526 says clothing and household items must generally be in "good used condition or better" to qualify for a deduction. Stained, torn, or broken items usually don't qualify. There is a narrow exception: you can deduct an item not in good condition if you claim more than $500 for the item and include a qualified appraisal with your Form 8283 Section B.

Keep notes. Record how you determined each value. If you used a price guide, comparable sales, or estimated valuations starting from our FMV database, note that. Photos of items before you donate them can help, especially for higher-value property. Keep any receipts the charity gives you. If the IRS ever asks, you'll want a paper trail. See our receipt requirements guide for what the IRS expects at each dollar threshold.

Don't overvalue. The IRS can disallow deductions and even impose penalties for significant overvaluations (Publication 561 covers the details). For used clothing and other personal items, Publication 561 specifically points to prices buyers actually pay in consignment or thrift shops as an indication of value. Publication 561 also recognizes replacement cost less depreciation when you can show a reasonable relationship to FMV. The takeaway: new retail price alone is not FMV, although it may be useful as a starting point.

What the database covers

The 2026 guide sorts 1,846 items into 21 categories:

For whole vehicles, stock, digital assets, and art? Valuation works differently. Those types have their own IRS rules and methods, and the item guide doesn't cover them. See our understanding FMV guide for a breakdown by donation type.

Browse by category when you're working through a box or bag of related items

When you need more than a calculator, even Charity Record's!

Valuing donations generally matters if you're itemizing your deductions, though 2026 has big changes for donations. Here are the main changes:

• If you itemize and donate, only the portion above 0.5% of your contribution base (generally your AGI, without net operating loss carrybacks) is deductible. The floor is applied once to your aggregate charitable contributions, not to each donation.
• If you take the standard deduction, you may deduct up to $1,000 ($2,000 if married filing jointly) in cash contributions to certain qualified organizations. (Donated items still require itemizing.)

Both changes are worked through with examples in our 2026 charitable donation tax changes post.

For noncash donations under $250, Publication 526 generally requires a receipt from the charity (name/address, date/location, and item description). If a receipt is impractical to obtain – for example, you donate to an unattended drop box – keep your own reliable written records with those details, along with how you determined value.

Above $250, the requirements get more specific. The IRS has thresholds that trigger additional documentation:

• $250 or more (single donation): You need a written acknowledgment from the charity. See receipt requirements.
• Over $500 (total noncash deductions for the year): File Form 8283. Section A generally covers items or groups of similar items valued at $5,000 or less. See Form 8283 basics.
• Over $5,000 (per item or group of similar items): You will usually need a qualified appraisal and Form 8283 Section B, with exceptions including publicly traded securities.

If you're donating valuable or unusual items, a value estimate isn't enough. Consult IRS Publication 561 and a tax professional.

Already tracking in a spreadsheet?

We know Charity Record isn't the only game in town! If you've been logging donations in Excel, Google Sheets, another spreadsheet, or another app that allows exports, you can import that data into Charity Record.

If you want to bring your donation history over to Charity Record, we accept CSV and formatted XLSX files. For a spreadsheet you create yourself, use the headers in our import format guide. That post also explains the optional columns for condition, custom categories, and notes.

Import works for all seven of our donation types, if you give in more ways than one: items, cash, mileage, stock, vehicles, digital assets, and art.

Upload your CSV or XLSX file and preview before importing

From values to your tax return

Once you've tracked your donations and assigned values, you probably want to get that data into your tax return.

TurboTax Desktop supports importing basic details from a TXF file. Export from Charity Record, import the file, then review and complete any details that TXF doesn't carry over. See our TurboTax TXF import guide for more details.

H&R Block Desktop supports TXF import, but it has more significant limitations and may aggregate donations. See our H&R Block TXF import guide.

TurboTax Online doesn't support the TXF import flow. You can use our PDF and HTML exports as a reference while entering donations manually. Totals are already calculated and organized by charity. See sample exports for what you'll get.

Working with a tax preparer, or TXF won't work for you? Export to HTML or PDF and share it, or use the export to enter what you need. Everything is organized and ready to hand off.

Note: TXF, PDF, and HTML exports are Plus features. CSV export is available to all accounts.

Common questions about donation values

How much can I claim for a bag of clothes?

Unfortunately, there's no universal figure here – there is no FMV for "a bag of clothes." You need to value the contents item by item, then add them up.

For a sense of scale, the 2026 guide's suggested values for a pair of women's jeans run from about $4 to about $8 depending on the value tier. That means a full trash bag of used clothing usually totals tens to hundreds of dollars at FMV, but you'll need to do the math.

Can I use what I paid for an item as its FMV?

Usually, no. While IRS Publication 561 says, "The cost of the property to you or the actual selling price received by the qualified organization may be the best indication of its FMV," it explains that this is most useful when the purchase or sale was reasonably close to the contribution date, took place in an open market and at arm's length, and market conditions did not change.

For the majority of used clothing and household goods held for some time, the IRS notes that "Used clothing and other personal items are usually worth far less than the price you paid for them." What buyers currently pay for comparable used items is often more useful than original cost.

Does the IRS publish a donation value guide?

No. While the IRS explains how to consider FMV in Publication 561, it doesn't publish any specific item values. Publication 561 explains that used-clothing valuation does not follow a fixed formula and directs taxpayers to consider actual prices paid in thrift and consignment stores.

If you use a guide – including Charity Record's FMV estimate database – it is useful as a starting point, but you're responsible for reviewing your choice and making sure it's appropriate for your particular item. No guide is IRS-approved, and guide providers don't know all of the relevant facts about your particular item.

What if my item isn't in the guide?

In Charity Record, if you can't find a close match to your item in the guide, add it as a custom item with your own value and a note on how you arrived at that value (e.g., comparable sales listings, a receipt for a similar item). You can also submit your item for consideration for a future guide release.

Do I need a receipt for donated items?

Generally yes. Our receipt requirements guide covers each threshold, including what you should do when getting a receipt isn't practical.

Start looking up values

Charity Record is free up to $500 in donations tracked. Create your account and start using the 2026 FMV database to estimate values for your donated items.

Related:

• Understanding Fair Market Value
• How the FMV Guide Works
• 2026 Charitable Deduction Changes
• How to Track Charitable Donations for Taxes
• Import Format Guide
• TXF Export: What to Expect
• Sample Export Reports

Charity Record is a recordkeeping tool, not tax or legal advice. This post is educational only. Tax rules can change, and deductibility depends on your facts and the tax year you file. Review IRS Publications 526 and 561 and Form 8283 instructions and talk to a qualified tax professional for your specific situation.

ItsDeductible is a trademark of Intuit Inc. Charity Record is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Intuit.