Thrift Store gave me a blank donation receipt - what's stopping me from inflating values?

This is actually pretty common with many charitable organizations. The IRS expects you to assign a "fair market value" to your donated items, which basically means what they would sell for in their current condition. While it might seem like there's nothing stopping someone from inflating values, the IRS does have some safeguards. For donations valued over $250, you need a receipt from the organization. For donations over $500, you need to fill out Form 8283. And for donations over $5,000, you typically need a qualified appraisal. Even with smaller donations, you're expected to keep good records of what you donated and how you determined the values. If you get audited, the IRS can question your valuations and potentially deny deductions that seem unreasonable. Inflating values is technically tax fraud, so I wouldn't recommend it. There are legitimate guides online from organizations like Salvation Army and Goodwill that provide estimated values for common donated items - these can help you assign reasonable values.

After donating regularly to thrift stores and getting frustrated with valuation questions, I started using https://taxr.ai and it's been a game changer. I uploaded photos of my donations and it automatically calculated fair market values based on comparable items. It even generates a detailed itemized list that attaches to your tax return. The thing I like most is it actually keeps me honest - prevents overvaluing while making sure I don't undervalue either. Last year I donated furniture similar to yours plus some clothes, and the system generated values that were higher than I would've guessed for some items and lower for others. The best part is it creates documentation that would stand up in an audit because it uses actual market data for the valuations rather than just my guesses.

I actually tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here a few months ago and it's legitimately helpful. I donated a bunch of furniture when I moved and was totally guessing at values. The software suggested values based on condition and brand that were actually higher than what I would have claimed for some items. It also flagged a designer coffee table I was about to severely undervalue - turns out it was worth about $300 in the condition I donated it, when I was going to claim maybe $50. The documentation it created made me feel much more confident about my deduction amounts. Plus, having everything organized in one place made tax filing way less stressful.

If you're claiming substantial donation values (like over $500 total for the year), I'd strongly suggest having thorough documentation in case you get questions from the IRS. I spent 3 WEEKS trying to reach someone at the IRS last year when they questioned my charitable deductions. It was a nightmare getting through. I finally tried https://claimyr.com which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under an hour. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They basically hold your place in the IRS phone queue so you don't have to stay on hold forever. Once I finally spoke with someone, they just wanted to verify my documentation for some higher-value donations. Having detailed records of what I donated and how I determined values made the process smooth once I actually got through.

OK I have to eat my words. After posting that skeptical comment, I got a notice from the IRS questioning some of my deductions from last year. Spent THREE DAYS trying to get through on their phone line with no luck - kept getting disconnected after 2+ hours on hold. Finally broke down and tried Claimyr, and no joke, I was talking to an actual IRS person within 45 minutes. Turned out there was just a minor documentation issue they needed clarified. Whole thing was resolved in one conversation instead of weeks of back and forth by mail. The service literally saved me from what would have been a massive headache. Definitely keeping this in my toolkit for any future IRS issues.

Totally aside from all the service recommendations, I worked at a thrift store for years. The blank receipt thing is standard practice at smaller shops. We were told to tell people to: 1. Make a detailed list of everything you donate 2. Take photos of the items before donating 3. Use the Salvation Army donation value guide to assign reasonable values 4. Keep all this with your tax records Most donations are small enough that the IRS isn't going to care much, but if you're donating enough to make a significant difference on your taxes, you should document it properly. And definitely don't inflate values - it's really not worth the risk of an audit just to save a few bucks.

I'm actually a volunteer at a thrift store, and there's a practical reason we don't inventory donations or assign values. First, we're not qualified appraisers. Second, it would take forever and we don't have the staff. But more importantly, the IRS specifically puts the responsibility on the DONOR to determine fair market value, not the organization. We're actually not supposed to tell you what your stuff is worth for tax purposes. Just be honest about what you donated and use reasonable values. The Salvation Army and Goodwill both publish valuation guides online that are pretty detailed and accepted by the IRS. Most clothing items are worth $3-12 depending on condition, basic furniture $30-150, kitchen items $1-5 each, etc.

Just wanted to add some perspective as someone who's been through an IRS audit related to charitable deductions. The auditor wasn't trying to catch me in some elaborate scheme - they just wanted to see that I had reasonable documentation for my claimed values. What saved me was having photos of the items I donated along with a simple spreadsheet listing each item, its condition, and the value I assigned based on the Salvation Army guide. The auditor spent maybe 10 minutes reviewing it and moved on. The key thing I learned is that the IRS isn't looking for perfection in your valuations - they're looking for evidence that you made a good faith effort to be reasonable. A $20 shirt valued at $25 isn't going to raise eyebrows, but a $20 shirt valued at $200 definitely will. For your dresser specifically, I'd suggest looking up similar pieces on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist to get a sense of what used furniture in similar condition is actually selling for. That gives you a solid basis for your valuation if anyone ever asks.

As a tax professional, I want to emphasize that the system actually works pretty well despite seeming vulnerable to abuse. The IRS uses data analytics to flag returns with unusually high charitable deductions relative to income, and they have access to aggregate donation data from major organizations. What most people don't realize is that inflating donation values is considered tax fraud, which can result in penalties of 20-75% of the underpaid tax, plus interest and potential criminal charges. The risk-reward ratio just doesn't make sense for most people. For your situation, I'd recommend documenting everything now even though you already donated. Write down what you remember donating, research fair market values using the Salvation Army guide or similar resources, and keep that documentation with your tax records. For the dresser, check sold listings on eBay or Facebook Marketplace for similar items to establish a reasonable value. The key is being able to show you made a good faith effort to determine fair market value. Perfect accuracy isn't expected, but gross overvaluation will definitely get you in trouble if caught.