How to Donate Clothing

Introduction

Is your closet filled with outdated t-shirts, dresses, jeans, etc?  Or is your waistline growing or shrinking and it is time for a new wardrobe?  Or are the kids growing right before your eyes, and nothing fits them.  Before you consolidated all those old clothes and start you very own bonfire on your front yard, wait … over 30 million low-income families across the US can benefit from the clothes you want to get rid off.  You can donate your clothes to a needy charity and even get a nice tax break out of it.  Here’s how.

Instructions

1. So what can you donate? You can donate anything that is in reasonable condition. Basically anything that can be worn properly by others. You can even donate underwear if you wish, although people might be reluctant to wear donated underwear. Here are examples of what you can donate (shirts, ties, pants, jeans, blankets, coats, sweaters, hats)
2. Wash your items before you donate them.
3. For large quantities of item, try to segregate the items in different bags and label each bag. This will help the charity sort the items.
4. If you have a large of amount of clothing you wish to donate, you can arrange for a curbside pick-up from various charities such as the Salvation Army. Contact the charity you wish to donate to and arrange for a pick-up. See the resource below for a list a charity you wish to donate to.
5. **Important** Be sure to get a tax receipt for your donation so you can deduct the amount in your tax return.

Where to donate

Find a charity that is a registered 501(c)(3) charity or a qualified religious organization that can lawfully accept your donation and from which you can get a tax receipt.

1. Salvation Army - www.salvationarmyusa.org
2. American Red Cross - www.wecollectclothes.com
3. Military Order Purple Heart - www.purpleheartpickup.org
4. Find from your local religious or civic group
5. Vietnam Veterans of America - www.clothingdonations.org
6. The Glass Slipper Project - www.glassslipperproject.org/
7. Dress for Success - www.dressforsuccess.org

Tax information for Donation

In order to receive the tax benefit for donating your clothes, clothing must be in good used condition or better. You need a qualified appraisal for any items over $500 that does not fit these criteria. 

Form 8283 may be attached to your tax return for any donated luxury clothing.

If there are appraisal fees associated with your donation, you CAN NOT deduct the appraisal fees. However, the fees may qualify as a miscellaneous deduction.

The tax laws are constantly changing, be sure to consult with a tax advisor for any additional questions.

Resources

• Publication 526, Charitable Contributions
• Publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property 
• Form 8283 (PDF), Noncash Charitable Contributions
• Topic 506, Contributions 
• Charity Navigator