Goodwill of Colorado’s federal tax ID number is 84-0513404. That is the employer identification number (EIN) the IRS uses to recognize Goodwill of Colorado as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and it’s the number you’ll want on hand to verify the charity’s tax-exempt status and to back up any deduction you claim for donated goods or cash.
Verifying the EIN
You can confirm 84-0513404 on Goodwill of Colorado’s own website or through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool. The 501(c)(3) designation means the organization operates exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, with no earnings benefiting any private individual, and that gifts to it are deductible if you meet the IRS rules below.
One caveat worth knowing. The current statewide entity was formed after Goodwill Industries of Denver and Discover Goodwill of Southern & Western Colorado finalized a merger in 2019, combining regional operations under one organization. If you come across an older EIN from one of the pre-merger entities in old paperwork or a third-party database, that number no longer applies. Use 84-0513404 on current donation records and tax filings.
Getting a Receipt at the Donation Center
Ask the attendant for a paper receipt the moment you hand over your items. The receipt typically has fields for the date, your name, and a general description of what you donated. You fill in the item descriptions and estimated values yourself, because Goodwill staff do not appraise donated goods.
If you forget to grab a receipt at drop-off, Goodwill of Colorado posts a fillable PDF donation receipt on its website that you can download, complete, and keep with your tax records.1Goodwill of Colorado. Donate to Goodwill of Colorado It is not an online portal that stores your donation history. It’s a blank form. That makes it worth logging details at the time of each trip rather than trying to reconstruct a year’s worth of donations in April.
For every drop-off, record the date, the location, and a specific description of each item. “Three bags of stuff” won’t hold up if the IRS asks. Entries like “men’s winter coat,” “wooden bookshelf,” or “working toaster oven” will.
Whether the Deduction Is Worth Claiming in 2026
Charitable deductions have traditionally required itemizing on Schedule A of Form 1040, which only makes sense if your total itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction. For 2026, the standard deduction is $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, $16,100 for single filers, and $24,150 for heads of household.2Internal Revenue Service. IRS Releases Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2026, Including Amendments From the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Most people who donate household goods to Goodwill won’t clear that bar with donations alone, so check the numbers before spending time cataloging every item.
Starting in 2026, taxpayers who take the standard deduction can also deduct up to $1,000 in cash contributions to qualifying charities, or $2,000 for married couples filing jointly.3Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 506, Charitable Contributions This applies only to cash, not donated goods. So if you drop off bags of clothing and also write a separate cash check, the cash portion can still yield a deduction even without itemizing.
For itemizers, 2026 also introduces a floor. You cannot deduct the first 0.5% of your adjusted gross income in charitable contributions. If your AGI is $100,000, the first $500 of your donations generates no deduction. Only the amount above the floor counts, and for someone making a few hundred dollars in Goodwill donations per year, the floor can wipe out the deduction entirely.
Determining Fair Market Value
Fair market value is the price a willing buyer would pay a willing seller when neither is under pressure to complete the deal.4Internal Revenue Service. Publication 561 – Determining the Value of Donated Property For most Goodwill donations, that means the thrift-store price, not what you originally paid. A coat you bought for $200 three years ago might have a fair market value of $15 to $30 today. IRS Publication 561 walks through acceptable valuation methods, including comparable sales, replacement cost, and expert opinions for higher-value property.
The IRS also requires that clothing and household items be in good used condition or better to qualify. Stained shirts, broken electronics, and furniture with missing parts don’t count.
Extra Paperwork Above Certain Thresholds
The IRS adds paperwork as your claimed donation value climbs. Missing any of these steps can cost you the entire deduction.
- $250 or more in a single contribution. You must obtain a written acknowledgment from Goodwill before filing your return. The acknowledgment must describe the property, state whether Goodwill provided any goods or services in exchange, and estimate the value of anything you received back.3Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 506, Charitable Contributions
- Over $500 in total non-cash donations for the year. File Form 8283 (Section A) with your return. This applies to the aggregate, so a dozen small trips that add up over $500 trigger it.5Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 8283
- Over $5,000 for a single item or group of similar items. Complete Section B of Form 8283, obtain a qualified appraisal from an independent appraiser, and have Goodwill sign Part V acknowledging receipt of the property. Goodwill itself cannot serve as your appraiser.6Internal Revenue Service. Charitable Organizations – Substantiating Noncash Contributions
Filing and Keeping Records
If you itemize, report the total value of your non-cash donations on Schedule A of Form 1040, and attach Form 8283 if the non-cash total exceeds $500.7Internal Revenue Service. Publication 526 – Charitable Contributions Cash donations go on a separate line of Schedule A. If you’re taking the standard deduction in 2026, use the new deduction for cash gifts described above.
Hold onto every receipt, your own item log, and any appraisal documents for at least three years from your filing date. The IRS generally has three years to assess additional tax on a return.8Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 305, Recordkeeping If you significantly underreported income, the window extends to six years, so keeping records a bit longer than the minimum is sensible.