Income Tax Question - Form 8283 Charitable Deductions (noncash)?
I need a little help. I've been told 2 different things, so I need to confirm which is correct. I use Turbo Tax to do my taxes. I usually have non-cash contributions of over $ 1000 each year, costing about $ 75-200 for each. I get a copy of the receipt that Goodwill gives me and keep it with each donation. I use Its Deductible to plan how much to deduct for each item. Turbotax then fills out Form 8283 because the total of all my contributions is over $500. *** Here's the problem: My mother told me her tax person said that you can't claim non-cash donations each year over $ 500 unless they give you an appraisal. **** Isn't that just if an INDIVIDUAL item is worth over $ 500?? Not if you give away, say... Goodwill 2-10-07 $ 201.00, Goodwill 3-4-07 $ 122.00, Goodwill 8-14-07 $ 175.00, Goodwill 11-1-07 $ 98.00 ??? Any help from a CPA or someone who does tax preparation would be really appreciated. Thanks!!
Public Comments
- You can only deduct what the items may sell for. For donations to Goodwill or similar charities, that's typically between 10¢ and 20¢ on the dollar of the new price of the items at best. If challenged at audit, you must be able to provide a detailed inventory of all items donated and the individual values of the items. The rules on non-cash donations are complex. See IRS Pub 526 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf for general guidelines on charitable donations and IRS Pub 561 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p561.pdf for more detailed information on establishing the value of donated property.
