The average value of individual donated items was only a few dollars, but cumulatively, it comes out to over $5000. Do I have to list individually or can I lump together?

Forum|Forum|7 months ago
February 20, 2026
1 reply
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I am getting an error because the total is over $5,000. They are dissimilar items.

TurboTax Online

Best answer by Opus 17

You won't be able to e-file without providing the requested information, unless you reduce the valuation to $4999.

You might get away with filing by mail. The IRS says that you must complete extra paperwork (including an appraisal and signatures) for a donation of a single item "or group of similar items" with a value over $5000.

https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-526

I have never seen any more specific guidance about what a group of similar items is, or is not. We could imagine that you donated the entire contents of someone's house after they died or moved into a care facility. Could you get away calling it separate groups of "furniture", "used clothing", "kitchenware" and so on? I don't know--I have not seen audit instructions or tax court cases on this topic. But you can't split up a "group of similar items" by donating smaller portions to different charities on different days.

If you look at your items and they constitute a group of similar items, then you can't claim more than $5000 without a signed appraisal and a signed form 8283 from a representative of the charity. If you think the items do not constitute a group, you will probably need to file by mail since Turbotax will enforce the additional requirements for group and prevent e-filing. And then be prepared with proof of why the items constitute separate "groups" in case the IRS sends a letter.

O

Opus 17

Answer

Level 15

You won't be able to e-file without providing the requested information, unless you reduce the valuation to $4999.

You might get away with filing by mail. The IRS says that you must complete extra paperwork (including an appraisal and signatures) for a donation of a single item "or group of similar items" with a value over $5000.

https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-526

I have never seen any more specific guidance about what a group of similar items is, or is not. We could imagine that you donated the entire contents of someone's house after they died or moved into a care facility. Could you get away calling it separate groups of "furniture", "used clothing", "kitchenware" and so on? I don't know--I have not seen audit instructions or tax court cases on this topic. But you can't split up a "group of similar items" by donating smaller portions to different charities on different days.

If you look at your items and they constitute a group of similar items, then you can't claim more than $5000 without a signed appraisal and a signed form 8283 from a representative of the charity. If you think the items do not constitute a group, you will probably need to file by mail since Turbotax will enforce the additional requirements for group and prevent e-filing. And then be prepared with proof of why the items constitute separate "groups" in case the IRS sends a letter.