If you like helping the needy, like me, you’re probably no stranger to donating your unwanted items to charity. After all, there’s no sense in shipping those old clothes, appliances, or books off to the landfill when someone might want them. Right? However, many charitable people have a lot to learn about how to get paid for donating their old goods.

The way I do it? Write off your donations as tax deductions, and let Uncle Sam compensate you a little bit for your generosity. With that in mind, here are four tips about how I deduct donations from my tax return.

1. Furniture

Furniture often will last for years after you don’t want it any more, making it one of the easiest and most helpful household items to donate. For tax purposes, however, you can’t really take much of a deduction for furniture, since its market value depreciates so quickly. Places like goodwill will give you receipts for your donations.

In fact, the IRS won’t allow you to take a deduction for household goods donated after August 17, 2006 unless they are in good used condition or better. And any furniture deduction over $500 requires a qualified appraisal.

2. Jewelry and Gems

As you might expect, it’s necessary to provide a qualified appraisal when donating jewelry and gems. The appraisal needs to state information regarding whether the jewelry is in fashion, as well as the color, cut, and clarity of the stones involved. These donations can raise a significant amount of money for the charity you select, so unless an old piece of jewelry has a lot of sentimental value, consider making it a donation.

3. Cars

Many people decide to donate their old cars to charity. To receive the appropriate tax deduction for your automobile, you’ll need to ascertain its fair market value, or FMV. Be sure to select the correct FMV. For instance, if you’re donating your used car to a private party versus a car dealer, the FMV may be significantly lower for the private party donation. Check out organizations like Kars4Kids; they’ll have other tips for you.

4. Hobby Collections

If you ever collected something that is now gathering dust in your garage or attic, donating the collection might be a great way to create some more space in your house. And it’s worth the time involved to get your collection appraised.

The condition of items like books is important to note, and the rarity and uniqueness of certain items is a factor that should be considered. Another interesting consideration that many people don’t take into account is whether an item was ever owned or signed by someone famous. If it was, that fact can add a lot of value to the item’s appraisal.

CONCLUSION

Although many people are reluctant to deduct donated items because they’re worried about getting audited, there’s really very little reason to worry, as long as you follow the IRS’s guidelines. It’s as easy as downloading a copy of IRS publication P561, which spells out the rules for most deductions. Here’s a challenge: can you find one item in your house to donate and write off tonight?