A Goodwill donation receipt comes from the attendant at the donation door when you ask for one. Goodwill does not value your items: you, the donor, set the fair market value, using a value guide and IRS rules. Keep the receipt yourself, because some Goodwills keep no copy.
Tumbleweed Thrift is an independent thrift guide, not affiliated with Goodwill, and not a tax adviser. This page summarises what the IRS publishes about deducting donated clothing, what Goodwill organizations say about receipts, and two official value guides, as of November 2026. It isn’t tax advice, and tax rules changed for 2026, so consult a tax professional about your own return. Goodwill is about 150 independent local organizations, so receipt formats and processes differ by region. For where Goodwill sits among other secondhand chains, see the thrift store chains hub.
How the Goodwill donation receipt works
Goodwill’s national FAQ tells donors to ask “the attendant who handled your donation for a receipt” if they plan to use it for taxes. Local organizations add their own details:
- Goodwill of Greater Washington: “When you drop off your donations at Goodwill, you’ll receive a receipt from a donation attendant.” It reminds donors that the IRS “requires you to value your donation when filing your return,” and offers a downloadable valuation guide with estimates for common items.
- Goodwill Northern New England: “This value is determined by you, the donor.” “Goodwill employees cannot help determine fair market value.” And: “Goodwill DOES NOT retain a copy of the tax receipt.” Receipts can be requested through an online form at goodwillnne.org.
Put those together and the practical rules are clear. Ask for the receipt at drop-off, list the items yourself, and assign values yourself. Don’t expect staff to fill in amounts. Whether a lost receipt can be reissued depends on your local Goodwill; Northern New England offers an online request form, but that isn’t a national process. The Goodwill donation drop-off guide covers the visit itself.
IRS receipt and record rules for noncash donations
The IRS rules depend on how much you claim. This table summarises IRS Publication 526 and Tax Topic 506. “Similar items” are combined for the thresholds, so a season’s worth of clothing donations counts together.
| Claimed value | What the IRS requires |
|---|---|
| Under $250 | “No deduction will be allowed … unless you get and keep a receipt.” At an unattended drop site, keep reliable written records instead |
| $250 to $500 | A “contemporaneous written acknowledgment,” received by the earlier of your filing date or the due date (with extensions) |
| Over $500 up to $5,000 | The acknowledgment plus Form 8283, Section A |
| Over $5,000 | A qualified appraisal plus Form 8283, Section B |
Topic 506 puts the form rule directly: “You must fill out one or more Forms 8283 … if your deduction for any noncash contribution is more than $500.”
Condition matters too. Pub 526 says you can’t deduct clothing or household items unless they are “in good used condition or better.” The exception is a single item claimed at more than $500, which needs a qualified appraisal and Form 8283 Section B. Property is generally deductible at its fair market value (FMV) at the time you donate it.
Donating clothes for a tax deduction in 2026: what changed
Two IRS changes for tax year 2026 affect clothing donors.
The new non-itemizer deduction covers cash only
Starting in tax year 2026, people who don’t itemize may deduct up to $1,000 ($2,000 married filing jointly) of cash contributions. The IRS is explicit: “Noncash contributions, such as clothing, stock, or other property, do not qualify.” Gifts to donor-advised funds and supporting organizations, and carryovers from prior years, don’t qualify either. Per IRS guidance, then, the new non-itemizer deduction covers cash gifts only. A bag of clothes for Goodwill doesn’t fall under it, and clothing donations are generally claimed by itemizing. Consult a tax professional about how this applies to you.
Itemizers face a 0.5% floor
From 2026, according to IRS Publication 505, itemizers “can only deduct charitable contributions that are more than 0.5% of your adjusted gross income.” That floor applies in addition to the overall limits on itemized deductions. Pub 505 also describes a reduction for high earners: itemized deductions are reduced by 5.4% of the lesser of total itemized deductions or the amount by which taxable income exceeds $768,700 (married filing jointly), $640,600 (single or head of household) or $384,350 (married filing separately).
Itemized donations are reported on Schedule A (Form 1040), lines 11 through 14, and are generally limited to 60% of AGI, with lower limits for some property and organizations. How these rules combine on your return is a question for a tax professional.
Goodwill donation value guide: how to set clothing donation value
The IRS defines FMV in Publication 561 as “the price that property would sell for on the open market.” It adds that “Used clothing and other personal items are usually worth far less than the price you paid for them,” that “Valuation of items of clothing does not lend itself to fixed formulas or methods,” and that thrift and consignment shop prices are an indicator of value. That last point is why charity value guides exist: they reflect what similar items sell for secondhand.
There’s no national Goodwill value guide with current figures. Below are two official guides side by side: one regional Goodwill’s and the Salvation Army’s national guide. Both are low-to-high ranges, and neither is national Goodwill policy.
| Item | Goodwill Northern New England (regional) | Salvation Army guide |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s blouse | $4–$9 | $3–$12 |
| Women’s dress | $6–$28 | $4–$20 |
| Women’s pants / slacks | $4–$23 | $4–$12 |
| Women’s sweater | $4–$13 | $4–$16 |
| Women’s shoes | $3–$30 | $2–$26 |
| Handbag | $2–$10 | $2–$21 |
| Women’s suit | $10–$96 (2-pc) | $6–$26 |
| Men’s shirt | $4–$9 | $3–$12 |
| Men’s pants / slacks | $4–$23 | $5–$12 |
| Men’s sweater | $4–$6 | $3–$12 |
| Men’s jacket | $10–$45 | $8–$26 |
| Men’s overcoat | $3–$9 | $16–$62 |
| Men’s suit | $5–$96 (2-pc) | $16–$62 |
| Men’s shoes | $3–$30 | $4–$26 |
| Children’s pants / jeans | $2–$10 | $4–$12 (jeans) |
| Children’s shirt | $2–$10 | $2–$6 |
| Children’s dress | $2–$10 | $4–$12 |
| Children’s shoes | $3–$10 | $3–$9 |
| Children’s snowsuit | $2–$10 | $4–$20 |
Goodwill Northern New England’s guide also lists a women’s hat at $1–$9 and children’s boots at $6–$10. The Salvation Army’s guide adds a women’s coat at $10–$41, an evening dress at $10–$62, a skirt at $3–$8, a jacket at $4–$12, a fur coat at $26–$415, and a men’s tuxedo at $10–$62.
The Salvation Army states: “The Salvation Army does not set a valuation on your donation.” It tells donors to pick a value within the range based on “relative age and quality,” and to consult a tax advisor. That’s the right way to read both guides. A worn sweater sits at the low end; a nearly new one sits higher. The ranges differ between the two guides, sometimes a lot (compare the men’s overcoat rows), which is exactly why no figure here should be treated as national.
A record-keeping checklist
- Ask for the receipt at drop-off or keep the one a pickup driver leaves. Pickup services such as Pickup Please, GreenDrop and the Salvation Army provide receipts; see the clothes donation pickup guide.
- List every item the same day: type, brand if relevant, and condition.
- Photograph the items and the receipt. Some Goodwills keep no copy.
- Assign a value using a charity value guide, adjusted for age and condition.
- Check the thresholds above, combining similar items, before you file.
- File the paperwork in one place. A simple Receipt Organizer Folder on Amazon keeps a year’s donation receipts together.
Unattended bins don’t issue receipts, so the IRS’s written-records rule applies there; the clothing donation bins guide explains more. To find the nearest donation door and its hours, see the Goodwill hours guide.
The verdict
A Goodwill donation receipt proves you gave. It doesn’t say what your clothes were worth, and Goodwill staff won’t fill that in. The value is yours to set, based on what similar items sell for secondhand, and the regional Goodwill and Salvation Army guides are reasonable reference points as long as you adjust for condition. The bigger 2026 change is that, per IRS guidance, the new non-itemizer deduction covers cash gifts only, so clothing donations generally matter for taxes only if you itemize, and itemizers now face a 0.5%-of-AGI floor. If you itemize, keep receipts, item lists and photos, and watch the $250 and $500 thresholds. If you’re unsure whether itemizing makes sense this year, consult a tax professional before you count on a deduction.
Shop the look on Amazon
Everything you need to build a secondhand-style wardrobe, delivered. We may earn a commission on purchases.
FAQ
How do I get a Goodwill tax receipt?
Ask the attendant who handled your donation at the donation door. If you missed it, check your local Goodwill’s website; Goodwill Northern New England, for example, has an online receipt request form.
Does Goodwill fill in the value on the receipt?
No. Goodwill Northern New England says the value “is determined by you, the donor,” and that employees “cannot help determine fair market value.”
Is there an official Goodwill donation value guide?
Some local Goodwills publish one, such as Goodwill Northern New England and Goodwill of Greater Washington. No current national Goodwill guide was found. The Salvation Army also publishes an official guide.
Can I deduct clothing donations if I don’t itemize in 2026?
Per IRS guidance, the new non-itemizer deduction covers cash gifts only, and the IRS says noncash contributions such as clothing do not qualify. Consult a tax professional about your situation.
What condition do donated clothes need to be in to deduct them?
IRS Publication 526 says clothing must be “in good used condition or better,” except for a single item claimed at more than $500 with a qualified appraisal and Form 8283 Section B.
Do I need a receipt for donations under $250?
Yes. Pub 526 says no deduction is allowed for a noncash contribution under $250 unless you get and keep a receipt, or reliable written records if you used an unattended drop site.
