You don't need an appraisal, but it would be a good idea to keep better records.
Deductions Over $500 but Not Over $5,000
If you claim a deduction over $500 but not over $5,000 for a noncash charitable contribution, you must complete Form 8283 and have the Contemporaneous written acknowledgment (defined earlier). Your completed Form 8283 must include:
- Your name and taxpayer identification number,
- The name and address of the qualified organization,
- The date of the charitable contribution, and
The following information about the contributed property:
- A description of the property in sufficient detail under the circumstances (taking into account the value of the property) for a person not generally familiar with the type of property to understand that the description is of the contributed property;
- The fair market value of the property on the contribution date and the method used in figuring the fair market value;
In the case of real or tangible property, its condition;
In the case of tangible personal property, whether the donee has certified it for a use related to the purpose or function constituting the donee’s basis for exemption under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code or, in the case of a governmental unit, an exclusively public purpose;
- In the case of securities, the name of the issuer, the type of securities, and whether they were publicly traded as of the date of the contribution;
- How you got the property, for example, by purchase, gift, bequest, inheritance, or exchange;
- The approximate date you got the property or, if created, produced, or manufactured by or for you, the approximate date the property was substantially completed; and
- The cost or other basis, and any adjustments to the basis, of property held less than 12 months and, if available, the cost or other basis of property held 12 months or more. This requirement, however, doesn't apply to publicly traded securities.
