Goodwill Donation Receipt Template
A Goodwill donation receipt confirms what you dropped off, not what it is worth. Goodwill does not assign a value to your donation, you estimate the fair market value yourself for your tax return. A worked example and a free generator are below.
No signup. Fill it in and download the PDF in under a minute.
The IRS treats a Goodwill drop-off the same as any other donation to a registered charity: no receipt, no deduction above 250 dollars, and no dollar figure from Goodwill even below that. The value is always the donor’s own estimate of what the items would sell for used, not what they cost new.
What goes on a Goodwill donation receipt
- Goodwill’s name and the donation center’s address
- Date of the donation
- A general description of what was donated, by category
- A statement that no goods or services were given in exchange
- Space for you to fill in your own estimated value
- Your name, for your own records
A worked example
Donation dropped off 14 June at the Riverside Ave location. Categories: men’s clothing, 12 items; kitchenware, 6 items; a coffee table. Goodwill’s receipt lists the categories and the date, nothing else. Using a thrift-store valuation guide, the donor estimates the clothing at 60 dollars, kitchenware at 25 dollars, and the coffee table at 40 dollars, for a total estimated value of 125 dollars, entered by the donor, not Goodwill.
Keep the guide or the notes you used to reach that number. An audit does not usually ask for a receipt from a store, it asks how you arrived at the value you claimed.
Over 250 dollars needs more than a slip
Below 250 dollars in estimated value, the blank receipt from the donation center is enough. Above that, the IRS wants a written acknowledgment naming the items and confirming nothing was received in return, and above 500 dollars in total non-cash donations for the year, Form 8283 goes with your return.
Create a donation receipt free
The free donation receipt generator covers the acknowledgment your own records need alongside the store slip. Fill it in, preview it, and download the PDF.
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Frequently asked questions
Does Goodwill tell you how much your donation is worth?
No. Goodwill’s receipt confirms what and when you donated. The dollar value for your tax return is always your own estimate of fair market value.
What if I lost my Goodwill receipt?
Ask the location for a duplicate if it was recent, or rely on your own dated notes and photos of what you donated. Without any record, the IRS may disallow the deduction if you are audited.
Do I need a receipt for a small donation?
Legally the IRS requires written acknowledgment only above 250 dollars in value, but keeping a receipt for every donation, however small, makes adding up the year’s total far easier.