I never done this before, so I need help. I'm donating a laptop (that hasn't been used before/sealed in box) to a charity that is a registered nonprofit charitable organization. How do I "officially" find out the Fair Market Value of this laptop? I tried looking through eBay and Facebook Marketplace and I see a lot of different prices for laptops that match the one I'm donating. The prices range from $100 to $1000. I have a document from the charity's website; asking what the serial number of the laptop is, my personal information like name and address, and the date. Is there anything else I need to have? I don't think this laptop is worth over $500, so I wouldn't need that IRS Form 8283Do I need to do anything else?

A

Anonymous

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Steps in donating a laptop to an accredited charity

Forum|Forum|2 months ago
May 14, 2026
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I never done this before, so I need help. I'm donating a laptop (that hasn't been used before/sealed in box) to a charity that is a registered nonprofit charitable organization.

How do I "officially" find out the Fair Market Value of this laptop? I tried looking through eBay and Facebook Marketplace and I see a lot of different prices for laptops that match the one I'm donating. The prices range from $100 to $1000.
I have a document from the charity's website; asking what the serial number of the laptop is, my personal information like name and address, and the date. Is there anything else I need to have? I don't think this laptop is worth over $500, so I wouldn't need that IRS Form 8283
Do I need to do anything else?

Not A Product Question

Best answer by JotikaT2

There are a few ways to find the fair market value of your donated laptop as outlined here. Another option is to see if your charity has a listing of values on their site itself. There is also a tool directly within TurboTax Online that allows you to pull up a fair market valuation that can be used if your donated item is listed as an option.

You are correct in regards to needing to report it on Form 8283. It is required if the value of items donated exceeds $500. If you determine the value is over $500 and the donation needs to be reported on Form 8283, then you would need to list out the date of the contribution, the date it was acquired, how you acquired it, your cost basis, the fair market value, and the method you used to determine the fair market value. You should not need anything else. Be sure to keep your donation record with your tax records should the IRS ever want support for your deduction.

X

xmasbaby0

Level 15

Before you get too worried about valuing the laptop you are donating----do you also have enough other itemized deductions to exceed your standard deduction? Unless you have enough other itemized deductions like mortgage interest, property tax, medical expenses, etc. to exceed your standard deduction, the donated laptop will have no effect on your tax due or refund.

Your itemized deductions have to be more than your standard deduction before you will see a change in your tax owed or tax refund. The deductions you enter do not necessarily count “dollar for dollar;”—medical expenses, for example, must meet a threshold that is pretty hard to reach. (Only the amount that is MORE than 7.5% of your AGI counts) The software program uses all the IRS rules that apply to the deductions you enter, and it tells you if you have enough to use your itemized deductions or if using the standard deduction is more advantageous for you.

The standard deduction makes some of your income “tax free.” It is not a refund. You will see your standard or itemized deduction amount on line 12e of your Form 1040.

2025 STANDARD DEDUCTION AMOUNTS

SINGLE $15,750 (65 or older/legally blind + $2000)

MARRIED FILING SEPARATELY $15,750 (65 or older/legally blind +1600)

MARRIED FILING JOINTLY $31,500 (65 or older/legally blind + $1600)

HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD $23,625 (65 or older/legally blind + $2000)

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

J

JotikaT2

Answer

Employee Tax Expert

There are a few ways to find the fair market value of your donated laptop as outlined here. Another option is to see if your charity has a listing of values on their site itself. There is also a tool directly within TurboTax Online that allows you to pull up a fair market valuation that can be used if your donated item is listed as an option.

You are correct in regards to needing to report it on Form 8283. It is required if the value of items donated exceeds $500. If you determine the value is over $500 and the donation needs to be reported on Form 8283, then you would need to list out the date of the contribution, the date it was acquired, how you acquired it, your cost basis, the fair market value, and the method you used to determine the fair market value. You should not need anything else. Be sure to keep your donation record with your tax records should the IRS ever want support for your deduction.

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