TXF Export: What to Expect

Summary: TXF is an import format supported by TurboTax Desktop and H&R Block Desktop. Cash, mileage, and item donations import directly with no manual entry. Stock, vehicles, digital assets, and art need quick updates after import since TXF only stores basic fields. When your export includes these types (or certain types or combinations of items), we provide an Import Guide with edits to make.

For a general overview of all export formats, see Exporting and Printing Your Donations. You can also view sample exports to see what the TXF format looks like before exporting.

When TXF is a good fit

TXF lets you import supported donations directly into your tax software instead of typing them manually.

  • TurboTax Desktop (Mac and Windows) and H&R Block Desktop support TXF import
  • Export once per tax year and import into your return
  • TurboTax Online and most web-based tax software do not support TXF (use PDF, HTML, or CSV instead and enter donations manually)

Where TXF imports are supported

TurboTax Desktop (Mac and Windows)

TurboTax Desktop supports TXF import. Intuit’s official steps:

  • Mac: File → Import → From TXF Files
  • Windows: File → Import → From Accounting Software

If you need to remove an import: File → Remove Imported Data.

Reference: TurboTax: How do I import from the .txf file?

H&R Block Desktop

H&R Block Desktop includes a TXF import path (menu labels vary). Two common flows:

  • New return: Choose Other program that supports Tax Exchange Format (TXF) during the import step.
  • Existing return: File → Import Financial Information → Other program that supports TXF.

Reference: How do I import my transactions into H&R Block? (CoinLedger guide with screenshots)

What imports cleanly

These donation types import with no edits needed:

  • Cash donations
  • Mileage donations
  • Item donations where each item is under $500 and the total per charity is under $5,000

TXF groups entries by charity and date, so multiple donations to the same charity on the same date may appear as a single line in your tax software.

What TXF cannot store

TXF stores payee name, date, and amount. It doesn't import:

  • item descriptions or quantities
  • VINs, odometer readings, or other vehicle details
  • stock ticker, shares, or cost basis
  • crypto quantities, symbols, or cost basis
  • art and collectible details or appraisal info

When a donation type needs more detail than TXF supports, the import will still work, but you will need to update the donation in your tax software after import. Charity Record generates a guide to walk you through that process at export.

How Charity Record maps donations to TXF

Cash and mileage

  • Aggregated by charity and date
  • Imports cleanly without edits

Items

  • Items under $500 per item are aggregated
  • Items over $500 per item are split into one line per unit, with the category and amount embedded in the charity name so you can identify them (e.g., Goodwill – Furniture – $650)

Why the split? Non-cash items over $500 are reported separately on Form 8283 Section A. We mirror that pattern so your imports line up with the form later. See Form 8283 basics for more details.

After import, you can optionally shorten the charity name back to just Goodwill – the line split is what matters for Form 8283, not the name.

When charity names include item categories

If either of these is true, Charity Record will include an item category in the export:

  • Total non-cash items for the charity exceed $5,000, or
  • A single item category for the charity exceeds $5,000

This helps disaggregate items for Form 8283 reporting. You can optionally clean up the charity names after import.

Other donation types (stock, vehicles, digital assets, art)

These are exported as non-cash TXF lines with a suffix in the charity name so TurboTax or H&R Block does not merge them. Examples:

  • “Goodwill – Stock”
  • “Goodwill – Vehicle”
  • “Goodwill – Crypto”
  • “Goodwill – Art”

They will import as generic items and need quick updates using the (generated) Import Guide.

What Charity Record's Import Guide will show you

When your export includes complex types or high-value items, Charity Record generates a TXF Import Guide with exact values to enter in your tax software.

The guide includes:

  • The donation name TurboTax or H&R Block shows after import
  • The correct donation type to select
  • The exact values to enter (ticker, shares, VIN, FMV, cost basis, acquisition date, and so on)

You can open the guide from the TXF preview page.

What to fix after import (by donation type)

Stock

  • Change type to Stock
  • Enter ticker, shares, cost basis, and FMV
  • Add acquisition date (or "Various"), and how it was acquired
  • Mark public vs private if applicable

Vehicle

  • Change type to Vehicle
  • Enter VIN, odometer reading, and FMV
  • Add cost basis – if you have it
  • Set acquisition date or “Various”

Digital assets / crypto

  • Change type to Digital Asset/Crypto
  • Enter asset name, quantity, cost basis, and FMV
  • Add acquisition date or “Various”

Art and collectibles

  • Change type to Art/Collectible
  • Enter description, artist/creator, appraisal value, and cost basis
  • Add acquisition date or “Various”

Dates labeled "Various"

If a donation is marked as recurring or “various dates,” TXF uses 12/31 of the tax year. This is a TXF limitation. If your tax software allows it, change the date to “Various” after import.

Other TXF limitations

You probably won't hit these (except negative values), but here are some other TXF corner cases:

  • Long charity names are truncated because TXF uses fixed-width fields
  • Unsupported characters are replaced with ? because TXF uses Windows-1252 encoding
  • Amounts are negative in TXF files (this is normal for expense entries)

For technical details, see the TXF specification.

Export and import steps

  1. On your dashboard, click Download Data
  2. Select the tax year
  3. Choose TXF
  4. Open the TXF preview and download the file
  5. If you see warnings, open the TXF Import Guide
  6. Import into TurboTax Desktop or H&R Block Desktop
  7. Update any flagged donations using the guide

Troubleshooting

Imported the wrong file?
TurboTax Desktop: File → Remove Import, then import again.

Can't import?
Confirm you are using TurboTax Desktop or H&R Block Desktop, not the online versions.

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 situations (large non-cash donations, appraisals, or special stock transactions), consult a tax professional for advice specific to your situation.

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