How the FMV guide works

Summary: Charity Record's Fair Market Value (FMV) guide suggests starting-point values for common donated items. Suggested values are estimates, not appraisals – compare them with the condition of your item and relevant market evidence before recording donations using the guide. For the IRS definition of FMV, see IRS Publication 561.

What the guide is

When you record an item donation, you can search the Charity Record FMV guide or browse by category. Choose your item, then select the value tier that best fits it. The guide will provide a suggested value.

The 2026 guide includes:

• 1,846 items across categories like Clothing, Baby & Toddler, Sporting Goods, Furniture, and Kitchen
• Up to three value tiers per item (Excellent, High, and Medium)
• Search aliases, so common names find the right item (for example, "Boppy" finds Nursing Pillow)

The 2026 methodology uses Medium, High, and Excellent as ascending value tiers, publishing only the tiers the pricing evidence supports. These are Charity Record labels to help you choose the best match for your item, not IRS-defined condition grades.

Depending on the item and its source data, the tiers may reflect:

• Excellent is the highest tier where available. It may reflect excellent or like-new condition, a premium or designer brand, or other upper-end pricing observations.
• High sits above Medium, and below Excellent where all three tiers exist. For some items, High is the highest tier available. It may reflect very good condition, a better or name brand, or other mid-to-upper pricing observations.
• Medium is the lowest tier, and for some items the only one. It may reflect more visible wear, a basic or generic brand, or other lower-end pricing observations. For clothing and household items, Medium is intended only for items you determine are still in good used condition or better.

All suggested guide values are estimates, not appraisals. Review the available tiers and compare your item's condition and market evidence to decide whether one fits.

⚠️ Condition requirement: For clothing and household items, the guide does not provide estimates for items below good used condition. If the IRS appraisal exception applies (see below), record the item as a custom item using the appraised value.

Selecting a tier does not establish that your item qualifies for a deduction; you remain responsible for determining your item's condition. The guide may show only one or two tiers because the pricing evidence does not support all three. If none of the available tiers fits your item, enter a custom item with your own value and explain the valuation method in Valuation notes.

Where the values come from

The 2026 release pipeline started from over 15,000 price observations gathered from publicly available sources. Source types include charity valuation guides, thrift and consignment pricing, resale programs, public sales, and other first-party used-goods pricing. Observations from earlier years are adjusted to the guide year.

IRS Publication 561 says all factors affecting value must be considered, including cost or selling price, comparable sales, replacement cost, and appraiser opinions. It also says the price buyers actually pay for used clothing in thrift and consignment stores is an indication of value.

Market observations remain the primary pricing evidence for the guide. To turn those observations into suggested values for the 2026 guide, we:

1. Normalize item names so equivalent source labels contribute to the same item – for example, source rows labeled "Jeans" or "Jean" for boys contribute to the same Boy's Bottoms: Jeans guide item.
2. Adjust each observation for inflation to the guide year when necessary, using published government price indices.
3. Apply depreciation guardrails. Published federal depreciation references primarily serve as caps or limits on adjustments. In a limited number of categories, they also help set the spread between value tiers.
4. Limit extreme observations' influence by statistically capping extremes before averaging.
5. Balance recent evidence across independent publisher families so one family does not dominate the selected observations.
6. Treat sparse evidence conservatively. When an item has limited independent support, the guide may borrow a tier spread from related items or publish fewer tiers.
7. Review the results, including source suitability, item names, category placement, and unusual pricing, with editorial decisions recorded.

Each guide is versioned by year, and saved donations keep the guide they were entered with – we never rewrite your past values when a new guide ships.

⚠️ Methodology limitation: These steps are Charity Record's methodology choices. The IRS has not approved the guide or prescribed this methodology for charitable-donation valuations. The guide is provided "as is" as a starting point for your own valuation. See our Terms of Service and Disclaimer for more information.

What the guide doesn't know

A suggested guide value does not establish your item's FMV or whether you can claim a deduction for it. You are ultimately responsible for the values you claim on your tax return.

For example, the guide can't account for:

• Your item's exact condition. You choose the value tier, and condition judgment is yours.
• Your relevant market. Prices may differ by location, season, selling channel, or other factors.
• Whether your item qualifies for a deduction. According to IRS Publication 526, donated clothing and household items generally must be in good used condition or better unless the appraisal exception applies.

Keep any charity receipt or acknowledgment the IRS requires, plus records showing the item's condition, its FMV, and how you determined that value. Condition notes, dated photos, and comparable sales can help support those records. See our articles on receipt requirements and Form 8283 for more information.

When to use your own value instead of the Charity Record FMV guide

The guide is optional, and coverage varies by category. Enter a custom item with your own value when:

• Your item isn't in the guide
• You have better evidence, such as recent comparable sales for the same item
• Your item is unusually high-end, branded, or collectible, or unusually low-end while still in good used condition or better
• You are recording a clothing or household item under the IRS exception for items below good used condition: you claim more than $500 for that single item, obtain a qualified appraisal to attach to your return, and file Form 8283 Section B. Select Other and explain the condition and valuation method in Valuation notes.

If you'd like an item considered for a future guide, you can suggest it for the pricing guide when adding a custom item.

Related articles

• Understanding Fair Market Value (FMV)
• How the FMV guide changes year to year
• Why does my FMV guide show last year's date?
• Custom items and submitting items to the guide

Charity Record is a donation tracking tool, not a tax advisor. This article summarizes publicly available IRS guidance to help you use our software. You are responsible for ensuring your tax filings comply with IRS requirements. For complex valuations, clothing or household items below good used condition, or a claimed deduction of more than $5,000 for an item or group of similar items, consult a tax professional or qualified appraiser for advice specific to your situation. Some types of property are excepted from the general appraisal requirement; see IRS publications for more information.