What is the current value of donated clothes for tax deduction in 2025?
Hey all, need some guidance on clothing donation values for my tax return. Last year I went through my closet and donated a bunch of stuff to our local shelter. I kept a detailed list of everything (I'm a bit of an organization freak lol) and I used a valuation guide I found online. I'm wondering if these values still make sense for my 2024 tax return or if I should adjust them up or down: Dress shirts (long sleeve): $8 Casual shirts (short sleeve): $9 Turtlenecks: $11 Sweaters (pullovers): $11 Cardigans: $12 Dress pants: $14 Jeans: $10 Work dresses: $15 Casual dresses: $12 Full suits: $35 Suit jackets: $18 Skirts: $10 Winter coats (dressy): $30 Casual coats: $20 Dress shoes (barely worn): $40 Everyday shoes: $15 I donated probably 40-50 items total so it adds up to a decent amount. Just want to make sure I'm being accurate and not risking any issues with my deduction. Should I keep these values the same or make changes for this year's filing? Thanks for any advice!
20 comments


Elijah O'Reilly
The valuation guide you're using looks pretty reasonable and falls within the generally accepted ranges for charitable donations of used clothing. The IRS doesn't publish official values for donated items, but they do expect you to claim a "fair market value" - essentially what a buyer would reasonably pay for the items in their used condition. These values haven't changed dramatically in recent years, so your list should still be appropriate for your 2024 tax return. Just remember that condition matters significantly - items in "good" condition might warrant the values you've listed, while "like new" items might justify a slightly higher value, and "worn" items should be valued lower. Also, don't forget that you'll need a receipt from the charity for any donation, and if your total non-cash donations exceed $500, you'll need to complete Form 8283. For donations over $5,000, you might need a qualified appraisal.
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Amara Torres
•Thanks for the info! Quick question - I have about 10 items that were basically new with tags still on them (impulse buys I never wore). Should I value those higher than the guide? And do I need to note somewhere that they were new/unused?
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Elijah O'Reilly
•For items that still have tags and were never worn, you can definitely value them higher than the guideline amounts I mentioned. A good rule of thumb is to value them at approximately 50-60% of the original retail price, assuming they're still in style and current. This is generally considered reasonable for "new with tags" items. You don't need to specifically note that they were new/unused on your tax forms, but it's a good practice to make notes in your personal records. Take photos of items with tags still attached and keep detailed descriptions of their condition in case of any questions later. Remember that you still need to be able to substantiate these values if asked.
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Olivia Van-Cleve
I've been using a similar valuation guide for years and it's worked great, but I recently discovered https://taxr.ai which has made donation valuation so much easier. After struggling with valuing my donations for the past few tax seasons (I donate A LOT), I tried their service and was really impressed. You just upload photos of your donation receipts and they automatically calculate appropriate fair market values based on current data. It even tracks everything throughout the year so when tax time comes, you just import it directly. They also provide documentation that supports the valuations in case of an audit. Saved me hours of research and second-guessing myself!
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Mason Kaczka
•Does it actually give different values than what the OP posted? Those numbers seem pretty standard. How exactly does the site determine what's "fair market value" versus just using a standard table?
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Sophia Russo
•I'm always skeptical of these tax tools. Do they just take your money and give you the same information you can find for free? And who is behind it - actual tax professionals or just developers who built an app?
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Olivia Van-Cleve
•It doesn't just use a standard table - it analyzes current thrift store and second-hand marketplace data to determine what items are actually selling for right now. So the values adjust throughout the year based on real market conditions, which is more accurate than static guides. For example, winter coats might be valued higher during fall than summer based on actual sales data. The team includes former IRS agents and tax professionals who built the system specifically to address documentation requirements for charitable donations. They're not just developers - they understand what documentation is needed to support deductions if you're ever questioned. And they provide an audit-ready report that shows how values were determined based on comparable sales.
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Sophia Russo
Just wanted to follow up that I checked out https://taxr.ai after my skeptical questions. I was donating some furniture along with clothes and wasn't sure how to value everything properly. The site actually saved me money because I was undervaluing some furniture pieces! It showed me recent comparable sales and explained exactly how the values were determined. The documentation it provides is super detailed - way more than I was keeping before. And it was easy to use even for someone not tech savvy like me. Actually ended up with about $200 more in deductions than I would have claimed on my own. Definitely using it for all my donations going forward.
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Evelyn Xu
Your values look fine, but just wanted to share that after my last donation, I spent 3 WEEKS trying to reach the IRS to ask about donation values. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally tried https://claimyr.com and watched their demo (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) - they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes! The agent confirmed those clothing values were reasonable and gave me additional guidance on documentation. Honestly thought it wouldn't work but was desperate after so many failed attempts. Was shocked when I actually got through and had all my questions answered about donation documentation requirements. If you need to ask specific questions about your donation values, might be worth checking out instead of waiting forever on hold.
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Dominic Green
•Wait so this service somehow gets you past the IRS phone queue? How does that even work? Seems sketchy to me.
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Hannah Flores
•I've tried calling the IRS multiple times and always give up after an hour on hold. There's no way this actually works. They probably just keep you on hold themselves and then connect you when they finally get through, charging you for the privilege.
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Evelyn Xu
•It's not sketchy at all - they use technology that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When an actual agent picks up, you get a call back and are connected immediately. It's like having someone else wait in line for you. The system calls repeatedly using optimal times and routes until it gets through. They don't just keep you on hold themselves - that wouldn't make any sense. Their entire system is automated to repeatedly try different IRS phone trees and entry points until it finds an available agent. That's why it works when manual calling fails. Most people don't have time to call the IRS 50+ times in a day trying different options, but their system does exactly that.
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Hannah Flores
I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I actually tried it two days ago because I was desperately trying to resolve a notice about my charitable deductions from last year. I figured I had nothing to lose since I'd already wasted hours trying to call myself. It actually connected me to an IRS representative in about 20 minutes! The agent walked me through exactly what documentation I needed for my clothing donations and even helped with a separate issue I had with my return. Saved me from having to mail in a bunch of paperwork and potentially getting my deduction rejected. Still can't believe it worked after all my failed attempts calling directly.
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Kayla Jacobson
Just a heads up that condition of the items matters a lot for valuation. I got audited two years ago specifically on my clothing donations. The IRS questioned why I had valued some items at the "good" price point when they were actually quite worn. Had to adjust my deduction down and pay some penalties. Make sure you're honestly assessing the condition. If items have stains, tears, excessive wear, missing buttons, etc. they should be valued much lower than your guide or possibly not counted at all if they're in poor condition. The IRS specifically says items must be in "good condition or better" to qualify for a deduction.
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William Rivera
•Did the IRS actually come look at your donated clothes? How did that work since you'd already donated them? I'm curious how they determined the condition after the fact.
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Kayla Jacobson
•No, they didn't physically inspect the clothes since they were already donated. I had taken photos of some donations but not all. What happened was they questioned the total value relative to the number of items and asked for more documentation about condition. When I couldn't provide detailed evidence of the condition for many items, they applied a lower standard value to the entire lot. I had claimed many items in "excellent" condition without proper documentation. Lesson learned - now I take photos of everything, especially any "like new" or "excellent" condition items, and I keep much better records of exactly what condition each item was in when donated.
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Grace Lee
Those values actually seem a little low for 2025 filing. With inflation over the past few years, I'd bump them up by 10-15%. My tax preparer specifically told me to adjust my donation values for inflation each year.
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Mia Roberts
•This is terrible advice! You can't just arbitrarily increase values because of inflation. The IRS expects fair market value, which is what someone would pay for the items in their current condition at a thrift store. Used clothing values don't necessarily increase with inflation at the same rate as new clothing. This is exactly the kind of thing that can trigger an audit.
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LilMama23
Your valuation list looks quite reasonable and aligns well with standard donation guides. Those values should still be appropriate for your 2024 tax return filing. The key thing to remember is that the IRS wants "fair market value" - what someone would reasonably pay for these items at a thrift store or consignment shop. A few important reminders for your filing: - Make sure you have receipts from the charity showing the date and organization name - Keep your detailed list (sounds like you're already on top of this!) - Take photos of higher-value items if possible for your records - If your total non-cash donations exceed $500, you'll need Form 8283 The condition assessment mentioned by others is crucial - "good" condition items can use your listed values, but anything with significant wear, stains, or damage should be valued lower. Since you mentioned being organized, I'd suggest noting the condition of each item on your list for future reference. Your approach of keeping detailed records puts you in a great position if there are ever any questions about your deductions.
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Andre Dupont
•This is really helpful advice! I'm new to itemizing deductions and have been nervous about claiming charitable donations correctly. One question - when you mention taking photos of higher-value items, should I be taking photos before donating them or is it okay to just have the receipt from the charity? Also, what exactly counts as "significant wear" that would lower the value? I have some items that are a few years old but still look decent - just trying to figure out where to draw the line.
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