Prepare A Paper Trail

When donating goods to charity, you can assign your own valuations for small gifts without having

to show receipts. Larger gifts require paperwork, though:

• For a contribution of $250 or more, you must get a written receipt of your donation from the

  charity.

• For a donation of more than $500 worth of goods, you must include Form 8283 with your tax

  return, providing details about your gift.

• If you claim a deduction of more than $5,000 for any one item, you must have a qualified

  appraiser provide a valuation that you attach to Form 8283.

If you