Import Format Guide
Summary: Import donation data into Charity Record from CSV or XLSX files. We support detailed files for seven donation types: items, cash, mileage, stock, vehicles, digital assets, and art. We also accept an overall summary format (which lacks detail) and Intuit ItsDeductible XLSX files.
How to import
- On the dashboard, click Import CSV/XLSX from your account menu or from the Add Donation button
- Upload one or more CSV or XLSX files
- Preview the data we found
- Confirm to import
We detect the file format from column headers automatically. Your donation year is filled in from the dates in the file. If you upload multiple files at once, we combine them and attempt to detect duplicates across files.
| ℹ️ Coming from ItsDeductible? |
|---|
| We accept ItsDeductible CSV and XLSX exports. If you didn't export before the shutdown in October 2025, you can still request your data from Intuit. |
How rows are grouped into donations
Within each uploaded file, rows that share the same charity name, charity address, and donation date are grouped into a single donation. For overall CSV files, rows are also split by Donation Type so mixed types do not merge into one donation.
This matters for the Donation Notes column, an optional field that appears in every extended format below. Donation Notes is stored once per donation, not per item or per entry. If multiple rows in the same group have different notes, we only use the first non-empty value.
Items CSV
Use this format for donated items like clothing, furniture, electronics, and household goods. Each row is one item (or a group of identical items with a quantity).
Basic format
The basic format has eight columns and matches the ItsDeductible items export. This is the minimum we need to import your items.
Charity,Charity Address,Donation Date,Item Description,Quality,Quantity,Fair Market Value per Unit in $,Donation Value in $
"Goodwill","123 Main St San Jose CA 95126","October 7, 2025","Men's dress shirt","High","2","8.00","16.00"
| Column | What it stores |
|---|---|
| Charity | Name of the organization you donated to |
| Charity Address | Street address (we use this to group donations) |
| Donation Date | When you donated |
| Item Description | What the item is |
| Quality | Condition: High, Medium, or Other |
| Quantity | Number of identical items |
| Fair Market Value per Unit in $ | Value of one item |
| Donation Value in $ | Total value (quantity x per-unit value) |
Extended format
The extended format adds four optional columns for notes and categorization. If you are importing from your tracking spreadsheet or building your own, these let you import more detail into Charity Record.
Charity,Charity Address,Donation Date,Item Description,Quality,Quantity,Fair Market Value per Unit in $,Donation Value in $,FMV Notes,Custom Category,Custom Subcategory,Donation Notes
"Goodwill","123 Main St San Jose CA 95126","October 7, 2025","Men's dress shirt","High","2","8.00","16.00","Goodwill price guide","Clothing","Men's shirts","Paid $23 each"
| Column | What it stores |
|---|---|
| FMV Notes | How you determined fair market value |
| Custom Category | Your own category label |
| Custom Subcategory | Your own subcategory label |
| Donation Notes | Notes on this donation, shared across all items in the group |
Cash CSV
Use this format for monetary donations: checks, credit card charges, payroll deductions, and similar.
Basic format
The basic format has eight columns and matches the ItsDeductible cash export.
Charity,Charity Address,Donation Date,Payment Type,Additional Payment Details,Additional Description,Receipt,Donation Value in $
"Red Cross","456 Oak Ave Seattle WA 98101","September 15, 2025","Credit Card","Visa ending in 1234","Monthly donation","Yes","100.00"
| Column | What it stores |
|---|---|
| Payment Type | How you paid: Cash, Check, Credit Card, Payroll Deduction, Debit Card, or Other |
| Additional Payment Details | Check number, card type, or other reference |
| Additional Description | Description of the donation |
| Receipt | Whether you have a receipt: Yes or No |
| Donation Value in $ | Amount donated |
Extended format
The extended format adds two optional columns for recurring donations and notes.
Charity,Charity Address,Donation Date,Payment Type,Additional Payment Details,Additional Description,Receipt,Donation Value in $,Recurring Frequency,Donation Notes
"Red Cross","456 Oak Ave Seattle WA 98101","September 15, 2025","Credit Card","Visa ending in 1234","Monthly donation","Yes","100.00","12","Set up through workplace giving"
"Food Bank","789 Pine St Portland OR 97201","December 1, 2025","Check","#4521","Year-end gift","Yes","500.00","",""
| Column | What it stores |
|---|---|
| Recurring Frequency | Times per year: 12 for monthly, 52 for weekly, 4 for quarterly, etc. |
| Donation Notes | Notes on this donation |
Mileage CSV
Use this format for miles driven for charitable purposes. You can also include parking and other transportation costs.
Basic format
The basic format has nine columns and matches the ItsDeductible mileage export.
Charity,Charity Address,Donation Date,Miles Driven,IRS Rate per Mile in $,Value of Miles Driven in $,Other transportation costs in $,Description of other transportation costs,Donation Value in $
"Food Bank","789 Pine St Portland OR 97201","August 10, 2025","25","0.14","3.50","5.00","Parking fee","8.50"
| Column | What it stores |
|---|---|
| Miles Driven | Number of miles |
| IRS Rate per Mile in $ | IRS charitable mileage rate for the year |
| Value of Miles Driven in $ | Miles x rate |
| Other transportation costs in $ | Parking, tolls, etc. |
| Description of other transportation costs | What the other costs were |
| Donation Value in $ | Total (mileage value + other costs) |
Extended format
The extended format adds two optional columns for recurring mileage and notes.
Charity,Charity Address,Donation Date,Miles Driven,IRS Rate per Mile in $,Value of Miles Driven in $,Other transportation costs in $,Description of other transportation costs,Donation Value in $,Recurring Frequency,Donation Notes
"Food Bank","789 Pine St Portland OR 97201","August 10, 2025","25","0.14","3.50","5.00","Parking fee","8.50","52","Volunteer delivery route"
| Column | What it stores |
|---|---|
| Recurring Frequency | Times per year: 12 for monthly, 52 for weekly, 4 for quarterly, etc. |
| Donation Notes | Notes on this donation |
Stock CSV
Use this format for donated stock, mutual funds, bonds, and other securities. This includes both publicly traded and private stock.
Basic format
The basic format has nine columns and matches the ItsDeductible stock export.
Charity,Charity Address,Donation Date,Stock Symbol,Full Name of Stock,Original Cost Adjusted Basis in $,Original Purchase Date,Fair Market Value on Date Donated in $,Donation Value in $
"University Foundation","987 College Blvd Boston MA 02101","July 1, 2025","AAPL","Apple Inc","1000.00","January 15, 2020","1500.00","1500.00"
| Column | What it stores |
|---|---|
| Stock Symbol | Ticker symbol (e.g., AAPL, MSFT) |
| Full Name of Stock | Company or fund name |
| Original Cost Adjusted Basis in $ | What you paid for the stock |
| Original Purchase Date | When you acquired the stock (or "Various" for grouped lots) |
| Fair Market Value on Date Donated in $ | Value on the day you donated |
| Donation Value in $ | Deductible value (usually same as FMV) |
Extended format
The extended format adds six optional columns for share count, acquisition details, and valuation method.
If these are missing, we fill in these defaults: 1 share, publicly traded, purchased, average of high/low.
Charity,Charity Address,Donation Date,Stock Symbol,Full Name of Stock,Original Cost Adjusted Basis in $,Original Purchase Date,Fair Market Value on Date Donated in $,Donation Value in $,# Shares,Publicly Traded,How Acquired,FMV Method,Appraisal on File,Donation Notes
"University Foundation","987 College Blvd Boston MA 02101","July 1, 2025","AAPL","Apple Inc","1000.00","January 15, 2020","1500.00","1500.00","50","YES","Purchased","Average of high/low","No","Annual giving"
| Column | What it stores | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
| # Shares | Number of shares donated | Any number |
| Publicly Traded | Whether it trades on a public exchange | YES or NO |
| How Acquired | How you originally obtained the stock | Purchased, Gift, Inheritance, Stock option exercise, RSU/Restricted stock |
| FMV Method | How you determined fair market value | Stock exchange closing price, Average of high/low, Qualified appraisal (for private stock) |
| Appraisal on File | Whether you have an appraisal documented | Yes or No |
| Donation Notes | Notes on this donation | Free text |
Vehicle CSV
Use this format for donated cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, RVs, airplanes, and other vehicles.
Not every column needs a value for Charity Record to import successfully. For vehicle CSV files, the practical minimum is Charity, Donation Date, Make, Model, and FMV in $. Fill in additional columns (VIN, odometer, year, etc.) as you have them.
Charity,Charity Address,Donation Date,Vehicle Type,Year,Make,Model,VIN,Odometer,Date Acquired,How Acquired,Cost Basis in $,FMV in $,FMV Method,Received Form 1098-C,Vehicle Details,Donation Notes
"Habitat for Humanity","321 Elm St Denver CO 80201","March 15, 2025","Car/Truck","2018","Toyota","Camry","1HGBH41JXMN109186","45000","June 1, 2020","Purchased","15000.00","12000.00","Kelley Blue Book / NADA","No","SE trim, well maintained",""
| Column | What it stores | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Type | What kind of vehicle | Car/Truck, Motorcycle, Boat, RV/Camper, Airplane, Other |
| Year | Model year | e.g., 2018 |
| Make | Manufacturer | e.g., Toyota |
| Model | Model name | e.g., Camry |
| VIN | Vehicle identification number | 17-character VIN |
| Odometer | Mileage at time of donation | Number |
| Date Acquired | When you acquired the vehicle | Date |
| How Acquired | How you obtained it | Purchased, Gift, Inheritance |
| Cost Basis in $ | What you paid for the vehicle | Dollar amount |
| FMV in $ | Fair market value | Dollar amount |
| FMV Method | How you determined FMV | Form 1098-C (sale price from charity), Qualified appraisal, Kelley Blue Book / NADA, Comparable sales |
| Received Form 1098-C | Whether the charity sent you Form 1098-C | Yes or No |
| Vehicle Details | Additional description | Free text |
| Donation Notes | Notes on this donation | Free text |
Digital Asset CSV
Use this format for donated cryptocurrency, tokens, NFTs, and other digital assets.
Charity,Charity Address,Donation Date,Asset Symbol,Asset Name,Quantity,Total Basis in $,Total FMV in $,Date Acquired,How Acquired,FMV Source,Transaction Details,Appraisal on File,Donation Notes
"EFF","815 Eddy St San Francisco CA 94109","November 1, 2025","BTC","Bitcoin","0.5","10000.00","25000.00","February 15, 2021","Purchased","CoinGecko","Sent from Coinbase wallet","No",""
| Column | What it stores | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
| Asset Symbol | Ticker or abbreviation | Free text (e.g., BTC, ETH) |
| Asset Name | Full name of the asset | Free text (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum) |
| Quantity | Amount donated | Any number (decimals OK) |
| Total Basis in $ | What you paid for the asset | Dollar amount |
| Total FMV in $ | Fair market value at time of donation | Dollar amount |
| Date Acquired | When you acquired the asset | Date |
| How Acquired | How you obtained it | Purchased, Mining rewards, Staking rewards, Airdrop, Hard fork, Gift, Inheritance, Other |
| FMV Source | Where you got the FMV price | Free text (e.g., CoinGecko, CoinMarketCap, Exchange statement) |
| Transaction Details | Transaction hash, wallet, or other reference | Free text |
| Appraisal on File | Whether you have an appraisal documented | Yes or No |
| Donation Notes | Notes on this donation | Free text |
Art CSV
Use this format for donated artwork, collectibles, jewelry, antiques, coins, sports memorabilia, and similar non-cash property that may require an appraisal.
Charity,Charity Address,Donation Date,Item Type,Description,Artist/Creator,Physical Condition,Date Acquired,How Acquired,Cost Basis in $,FMV in $,FMV Method,Appraisal on File,Appraiser Name,Appraisal Date,Photo on File,Donation Notes
"City Art Museum","500 Museum Dr Chicago IL 60605","April 20, 2025","Painting","Oil landscape, 24x36","Jane Artist","Excellent","January 10, 2015","Purchased","2000.00","8000.00","Qualified appraisal","Yes","Smith Appraisals","March 1, 2025","Yes",""
| Column | What it stores | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
| Item Type | Category of item | Painting, Sculpture, Antique, Jewelry, Coins/Stamps, Sports Memorabilia/Collectibles, Antique Furniture, Other |
| Description | What the item is | Free text |
| Artist/Creator | Who made it | Free text |
| Physical Condition | Current condition | Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor |
| Date Acquired | When you acquired the item | Date |
| How Acquired | How you obtained it | Purchased, Gift, Inheritance, Created by me |
| Cost Basis in $ | What you paid for the item | Dollar amount |
| FMV in $ | Fair market value | Dollar amount |
| FMV Method | How you determined FMV | Qualified appraisal, Auction records/comparable sales, Art dealer quote, Catalog/price guide |
| Appraisal on File | Whether you have an appraisal documented | Yes or No |
| Appraiser Name | Name of the appraiser | Free text |
| Appraisal Date | Date of the appraisal | Date |
| Photo on File | Whether you have a photo | Yes or No |
| Donation Notes | Notes on this donation | Free text |
Overall CSV
The overall format combines all donation types into one file. Each row has a charity, date, type label, and total value. This is a simpler format with less detail than the type-specific files above.
⚠️ The overall format works well if you just want to get your totals into Charity Record quickly and use the tool to fill in detail later. If you have the time, we suggest using the type-specific files instead.
Charity,Charity Address,Date,Donation Type,IRS Donation Type Classification,Description,Donation Value in $
"Goodwill","123 Main St San Jose CA 95126","October 7, 2025","Items","Non-Cash Donation","Clothing and books","16.00"
"Red Cross","456 Oak Ave Seattle WA 98101","September 15, 2025","Cash","Monetary Gift","Monthly donation","100.00"
"Habitat for Humanity","321 Elm St Denver CO 80201","March 15, 2025","Vehicle","Non-Cash Donation","2018 Toyota Camry","12000.00"
We recognize the donation type from the Donation Type column: Items, Cash, Money, Mileage, Stock, Vehicle, Digital Asset, and Art.
Tip: If you have type-specific CSV files in addition to an overall file and you want to upload them all together, we use the type-specific files for more complete data and skip the matching rows from the overall file automatically.
XLSX imports
If you have an ItsDeductible XLSX file, you can upload it directly. The column headers in the XLSX won't match the headers in the type-specific files above, but we will detect the format from the column headers automatically. You will be able to preview the data we found and confirm to import.
Tips for successful imports
Upload multiple files at once -- You can select multiple CSV or XLSX files from different donation types and import them all in one go.
Preview before confirming -- The preview screen shows you exactly what we found and flags any issues. Take a look before clicking Import Now.
Duplicate detection -- If you have already imported certain donations, we detect duplicates and prevent double-counting. Type-specific files (like a dedicated stock CSV) take priority over the overall summary, so you can safely upload both without worrying about duplicates.
Not every column needs a value -- Many formats only need charity, date, and amount, but some types require extra fields. Examples: vehicle imports need make/model, digital asset imports need symbol or name plus quantity, and art imports need description plus FMV.
If something goes wrong
The import preview flags any rows that can't be processed. Here are the most common issues:
Missing data -- Every row needs a charity name and donation date. Most rows also need a donation value. Some types need extra required fields (for example vehicle make/model). Check for blank cells in your CSV, or misspelled column headers.
Unrecognizable dates -- If a date can't be parsed, we will flag it. Most common formats work fine (MM/DD/YYYY, Month DD, YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD, etc.).
Number formatting -- Dollar amounts should be plain numbers, with or without a dollar sign. We will let you know if a value can't be read as a number.
If you have errors, you can fix your CSV and re-upload, or import just the valid rows and add the rest manually later.
Importing from a spreadsheet
If you track donations in Excel, Google Sheets, or another spreadsheet app, you can import them into Charity Record.
Pick the format above that matches your donation type (or use the Overall format if you want something simpler), copy the header row exactly into your spreadsheet, and fill in your data. We detect the format from your column headers, so the headers need to match.
When you are ready, save or download your file as CSV:
- Google Sheets: File > Download > Comma-separated values (.csv)
- Microsoft Excel: File > Save As > CSV (Comma delimited)
Then upload the CSV file using our import page.
Need help?
If you run into issues importing your files, click the Help button or contact us with a description of the error and we will help you sort it out.
Charity Record is a donation tracking tool, not a tax advisor. This article covers file formats to help you import data. You are responsible for ensuring your tax filings comply with IRS requirements. Consult a tax professional for advice specific to your situation.
Charity Record is not affiliated with Intuit or ItsDeductible. ItsDeductible was an Intuit product that shut down in October 2025. We support importing ItsDeductible export files to help users preserve their donation history.