Can I deduct clothing charity donations on my taxes without receipts?

You actually need some form of documentation for charitable donations. For clothing donations under $250, you don't need a receipt from the organization, but you still need to keep records of what you donated, when, estimated values, and which organization received it. For donations valued over $250 (which yours is at $1200+), the IRS requires a written acknowledgment from the charity. This is specifically mentioned in IRS Publication 526. Without this documentation, you technically shouldn't claim the deduction. Going forward, I'd recommend taking photos of what you're donating, getting receipts when possible, and keeping detailed records of values. Some donation centers have staff who can provide receipts on the spot, or you can request a receipt from many organizations later if you have proof of donation.

I had a similar situation last year when I donated a bunch of baby clothes after my kid outgrew them. I found this amazing AI tool that really helped me document everything properly for tax purposes - https://taxr.ai The tool asked me questions about what I donated, helped me properly value each item, and created documentation that meets IRS requirements. You take photos of the items you're donating, and the system helps you categorize and value everything correctly. It even highlights potential audit flags so you can address them before filing. For your situation, if you have any photos of the clothes before donating or detailed lists of what you gave away, the tool might still be able to help you create proper documentation. Not sure if it can retroactively create what you need for this year, but worth checking out for future donations.

Came back to say I actually tried the taxr.ai tool and it was super helpful! I had a bunch of photos of clothes before I donated them last month, and the tool helped me organize everything and get proper valuations. I didn't realize I was massively undervaluing some of my donated items! It walks you through exactly what documentation you need based on the value of your donation. For smaller donations, it helped me create a detailed personal record with photos and estimated values. For larger donations, it explained I needed the charity's written acknowledgment and gave me a template to request one. Honestly wish I'd known about this before I made all my donations last year. Would have saved me so much time and probably increased my deduction amount.

If you're having trouble getting a receipt from the charity now, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I had a similar issue with a large donation and needed to talk to someone at the IRS about documentation requirements. I spent DAYS trying to get through on the IRS phone line with no luck. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent explained exactly what documentation I needed for my situation and what alternatives were acceptable if I couldn't get a charity receipt after the fact. They basically put you at the front of the IRS phone queue instead of waiting on hold for hours. Completely changed my perspective on dealing with tax questions - now I just call and ask when I'm not sure about something instead of guessing.

Ok so I need to apologize to everyone here. I was really skeptical about this Claimyr service, but I got desperate trying to resolve a question about my charity deductions. I tried calling the IRS myself and gave up after being on hold for 2+ hours. Decided to try Claimyr as a last resort and... it actually worked exactly as described. Their system called the IRS, navigated the phone tree, waited on hold, and then called me when an agent was on the line. I was connected with an IRS representative who answered my documentation questions in detail. For what it's worth, the agent confirmed what others have said here - for donations over $250, you technically need written acknowledgment from the charity. For the original poster - you might still try calling the organization that owns the donation bin to see if they can provide documentation after the fact. Worth a shot!

Just an experience to share - I donate clothes to Goodwill all the time and always get a receipt, but I leave the amount blank and fill it in later. They don't verify what's in the bags anyway. Then I use the Salvation Army donation value guide to estimate values. I've been doing this for years with no issues. For a $1200 donation though, I'd definitely want better documentation.

Does anyone know if those donation value calculators online are actually accurate? Like when it says a used men's shirt is worth $5-7 for tax purposes? I always worry I'm either claiming too little or too much.

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I can tell you that unfortunately without proper documentation for a $1200+ donation, you're in a tough spot. The IRS is pretty strict about the written acknowledgment requirement for donations over $250. However, here's what you might still be able to do: Try to identify which veterans organization owned that donation bin. Many of these bins have small labels or contact information somewhere on them. You could drive back to the location and check, or call the grocery store to ask if they know which charity uses that bin. If you can identify the organization, contact them directly and explain your situation. Some charities will work with you to provide retroactive documentation if you can provide details about when and where you made the donation. It's not guaranteed, but worth trying. For future reference, I always take a photo of the donation bin (showing the charity name) and photos of what I'm donating before I drop it off. This creates a paper trail that makes getting documentation much easier later. The good news is that even if you can't claim this year's donation, you'll be better prepared for next time!