How to Donate Kitchen Appliances

Toasters and other kitchen appliances can be donated to local charities.

When you replace some of your kitchen appliances you may be wondering what you can do with the old ones. As long as they are in good condition, you can donate your kitchen appliances to a local charity in your area. By doing so, you can get a tax deduction as long as the charity is eligible for tax deductible donations. You get to claim the fair market value of the kitchen appliances, which the IRS lists as the price a buyer would pay for the appliances in the current market.

Instructions

1. Clean the kitchen appliances that you want to donate and make sure that they work. Charities typically only accept items that are in good, working condition.

2. Check with the IRS website to make sure that the place where you are donating is listed with them as a charity. If not, your donation is not tax deductible. If you don't have a charity picked out yet, you can search for an eligible organization by name, city or state. National organizations that accept kitchen appliances include Goodwill and Salvation Army.

3. Contact the charity to make sure that they accept the kitchen appliances that you want to donate. Most of the time, large appliances, such as a refrigerator, are not accepted. If you have large appliances, try looking for a church, shelter or other organization with a kitchen that may have a need for large appliances.

4. Assess the fair market value of the kitchen appliances that you are donating by viewing the Salvation Army valuation guide. You can also check local prices by looking for similar items in your local newspaper classified ads or in second-hand stores.

5. Get your kitchen appliances to the charity. Some organizations, such as Goodwill, have donation centers where you drop off your donation. Other organizations, such as Salvation Army, can pick up larger items with their truck. If you are not sure how your charity accepts donations, just contact them to find out.

Tips & Warnings

• Get your donation receipt for your taxes when you get your kitchen appliances to the charity for donation.

References

• IRS: What is Fair Market Value

Resources

• IRS: Search for Charities
• Salvation Army USA: Valuation Guide for Donations
• Seattle Goodwill: Accepted Items