ItsDeducted Research
Noncash donation research, grounded in real records
ItsDeducted analyzes anonymized, aggregated platform data to understand how people document charitable donations, which goods appear most often, and how estimated fair market values vary across categories and conditions.
Original research based on completed physical-goods donations documented in ItsDeducted. Findings describe the observed platform dataset, not all U.S. charitable giving.
Latest research
What Are Donated Items Worth? The 2026 ItsDeducted Donation Value Report
The inaugural report examines 25,879 physical donated goods across 439 completed donation events. It looks at donation size, category mix, condition, and estimated fair market value—then publishes the methodology and limitations needed to interpret those findings responsibly.
What we study
A clearer picture of how noncash donations are documented
We focus on observable patterns inside the ItsDeducted dataset—not fixed price charts, national estimates, or claims that a single value applies to every donated item.
Donation composition
How many physical goods appear in completed donations, which categories are most common, and which categories tend to appear together.
Condition & estimated value
How recorded condition and item category relate to estimated fair market value within the observed dataset, with medians used where they better describe a typical record.
Documentation patterns
How donors organize physical goods into completed donation records and how the mix changes across smaller and larger donation events.
Methodology first
Useful research starts with knowing what the data can—and cannot—say
The 2026 report uses an anonymized, aggregated production research snapshot generated on August 20, 2026. It includes completed physical-goods donations documented in ItsDeducted and excludes cash, mileage, draft donations, and a confirmed internal/test account.
No user-level or donation-level records are published in the downloadable aggregate dataset.
Research focuses on completed physical-goods donation activity, not unfinished drafts.
Definitions, quantity treatment, medians, research period, and interpretation notes are published with the report.
Findings are framed as platform observations rather than universal donor behavior or official tax values.
For reference use
Built to be evaluated, quoted, and cited in context
Journalists, researchers, tax professionals, and writers can use the published methodology, aggregate data, ready-to-reference findings, and press visual to verify the scope behind the headline statistics.
Suggested citation
ItsDeducted. “What Are Donated Items Worth? The 2026 ItsDeducted Donation Value Report.” August 20, 2026. When quoting a statistic, keep the population and period attached: the 2026 ItsDeducted research snapshot covers completed physical-goods donation activity created in the platform from April 6 through August 20, 2026.
Explore the evidence
Move from aggregate findings to practical donation-value context
The research series explains what appears in the ItsDeducted dataset. The broader resource library helps donors understand fair market value principles and document their own items.
Donation values & fair market value
Browse category and item-level donation value guides, or use the calculator to estimate a specific donated item with more context than a single generic chart can provide.
IRS rules & recordkeeping context
Understand the role of fair market value, condition, documentation, and Form 8283 before applying research findings to an individual tax situation.
Research FAQ
Questions about the dataset and how to use it
What data is included in ItsDeducted Research?
The 2026 flagship report uses an anonymized, aggregated production snapshot of completed physical-goods donations documented in ItsDeducted from April 6 through August 20, 2026. It excludes cash, mileage, draft donations, and a confirmed internal/test account.
Is ItsDeducted Research representative of all U.S. donors?
No. The findings describe activity within the ItsDeducted platform dataset. They are not a probability sample of U.S. donors and should not be presented as national averages or estimates of all charitable giving.
Are the estimated fair market values IRS-approved?
No. ItsDeducted provides estimated fair market values and recordkeeping support. The estimates in the research are not IRS-set prices, qualified appraisals, or professional tax advice. The IRS provides fair-market-value principles, while the facts and circumstances of the specific property still matter.
Can journalists and researchers cite the findings?
Yes. The full report includes ready-to-reference findings, methodology, limitations, publication details, and citation guidance. When citing a statistic, keep the ItsDeducted dataset scope and research period attached so readers understand what population the number describes.
Can I download the underlying research data?
ItsDeducted publishes an aggregate CSV containing the summary measures reported in the 2026 study. It does not include user-level or donation-level records.
Future research
The first report is a baseline, not a finish line
Annual editions and focused research releases will be added as the anonymized dataset grows. Future work may examine category-level patterns, donation composition, documentation behavior, and changes over time—while keeping the same emphasis on transparent scope and interpretation.
Follow new research and product updates →Document your own donation
Turn the next pile of donated goods into an organized record
Upload a photo or import a list, review estimated fair market values, and keep item details, charity information, notes, and tax-time exports together in ItsDeducted.
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