How much is a donated desk worth?
Desks span a wider range than almost anything else in a home office, and the row you belong on is decided by how the piece was built rather than by what you used it for.
- Typical value, good condition
- $44
- Published range, good condition
- $38 to $50
What a donated desk is generally worth
Fair market value is a range, so these are ranges. The suggested figure sits inside the band the source guide published for that condition.
| Item | Like new | Good | Fair | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desk | $50 to $60 | $38 to $50 | $26 to $38 | Source 1 for Desk |
| Computer Desk | $10 | $10 | $10 | Source 4 for Computer Desk |
| Secretary Desk | $115 to $145 | $85 to $115 | $50 to $85 | Source 1 for Secretary Desk |
| Office or Desk Chair | $55 to $75 | $31 to $55 | $7 to $31 | Source 3 for Office or Desk Chair |
Values are per item, in 2026 dollars, from the DeductiBee valuation dataset, edition 2026.1. A range is what the source guide published; the suggested figure is the point inside it we prefill, not a price.
How this range was derived
Published: Salvation Army "Desk" $26-$145; Goodwill Intl "Desks" $30-$60; Catholic Charities "Desk" $20-$100. L*=$26 H*=$60 by lower median; tiers split at 35%/70% of span per CITATIONS.md 3.4.
- Like new
- Unworn or barely used, with tags or as good as. The top of the published range.
- Good
- Used, complete, clean, and working, with no notable damage. The middle of the range.
- Fair
- Visible wear but still usable and saleable. The bottom of the range, and generally the lowest condition that can be claimed at all.
What drives the value of a donated desk
The tier you pick is the biggest lever on this page. Here is what actually decides it.
The three desk rows here describe three different kinds of object. A traditional desk, built as a case piece with drawers, is the middle of the page. A secretary desk, the tall one with a fold-down writing surface over drawers, is published well above it. A computer desk, the laminate flat-pack style with a keyboard tray, is published far below both, and on that row the source printed a single figure rather than a band. We show it as a single number because that is what was published, not because the range collapsed.
Flat-pack construction is the practical reason a computer desk is treated that way: cam-lock joints loosen every time a piece is taken apart, and a desk on its second disassembly usually racks visibly when pushed. Put a hand on a corner and shove gently before valuing anything. Movement at the joints is a bottom-of-range description at best, and a desk that will not stand square is generally not in deductible condition.
On solid-wood and veneered desks, check the drawer runners, the writing surface for gouges and ink, and, on a secretary, the fall-front hinges and support arms, which carry the whole weight of the open desk and are the part that fails. Missing keys for a locking drawer, missing grommets, and a missing keyboard tray all argue downward inside the row.
What evidence supports the condition you claimed
A number you can trace and defend is worth more in an audit than a generous one you cannot.
Photograph the desk from the front and from a three-quarter angle that shows the side panels and legs, then the writing surface straight down, then one drawer open. For a secretary, photograph it with the fall front open and supported, which is the single frame that distinguishes it from an ordinary desk. Note the maker's label on the back panel or inside a drawer while the piece is still accessible.
Items people log as a desk by mistake
Filing an item under the wrong line is the quietest way to end up with a number you cannot support.
An office or desk chair
The chair is its own published line and is not part of the desk's value. It appears as a row on this page because desks and chairs are donated together, and both deserve a number.
A computer desk
The laminate flat-pack desk has its own much lower row, with a single published figure rather than a range. If yours came in a box and was assembled with a hex key, that is generally the row.
A table being used as a desk
A dining or console table pressed into service as a desk is still priced as a table, and the table rows are different numbers. What the piece is decides the row, not where it sat.
Up, sideways, and out
Every value on this page comes out of the furniture section of the donation value guide, which shows the rest of the category with the same sourcing.
Also in Desk
- Other Desk$44, good
Full ranges, all three tiers, and the sources for each are in the furniture valuation guide.
- ValuesFurniture donation valuesThe whole category, item by item, with the published range and the source behind every line.
- ValuesHow much is a donated sofa worth?Fair market value for a donated sofa, why a sleeper sofa is the highest row on the page, and what a frame, cushions, and upholstery say about the tier.
- ValuesWhat is a donated mattress worth, if a charity takes it?Fair market value for a donated mattress by size, why the queen and king rows carry no published range, and what to ask a charity before loading it.
- ValuesHow much is a donated dresser worth?Fair market value for a donated dresser, chest of drawers, or wardrobe, and why solid wood, drawer boxes, and an intact mirror move the published row.
- ValuesWhat is a donated dining table worth?Fair market value for a donated dining table, why a complete dining room set is a far larger number, and what leaves, chairs, and hardware do to the row.
- LookupLook up any other itemSearch the whole catalog, pick a condition, and read the range with its citation.
- CalculatorWhat the deduction is worth to youTurn a documented total into a range of tax effect, with the marginal-rate assumption stated on screen.
Questions about donating a desk
Why does the computer desk show one number instead of a range?
Is a secretary desk worth more than a regular desk?
Can I deduct a desk I took apart to move?
Where these values come from
Every range on this page traces to one of these. Values are derived from the published ranges, never copied from another product’s valuation database, and never invented where no source covers an item.
- Donation Value Guide (The Salvation Army Thrift Stores | Donation Valuation Guide)
The Salvation Army (Thrift Stores / Adult Rehabilitation Centers)
Primary value source. A published range from this guide can set the low or high end of an item's band. Fetched and read .
- Valuation Guide for Goodwill Donors
Goodwill Industries International (compiled list, republished by member affiliates)
Primary value source. A published range from this guide can set the low or high end of an item's band. Fetched and read .
- Thrift Store Valuation Guide
Catholic Charities Maine (Catholic Charities Thrift Store)
Corroborating check. Used to sanity-check a band. Never moves a figure on its own. Fetched and read .
- Valuation Guide for Goodwill Donors (single average price variant)
Goodwill Industries International (single-value variant; copy hosted by Goodwill Industries of East Texas)
Corroborating check. Used to sanity-check a band. Never moves a figure on its own. Fetched and read .
The rules behind the thresholds
- Publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated PropertyIRS, IRS publication
- Publication 526, Charitable ContributionsIRS, IRS publication
- Instructions for Form 8283IRS, IRS form
A value is evidence, not a ruling. Deductibility depends on your own facts, including whether the organization is qualified and what records you kept. This is record-keeping software, not tax advice.
A desk is rarely the only thing in the car.
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Same numbers, offline
Edition 2026.1 ships inside the app, so a value never depends on a server being up in January.
Condition on the record
The tier you picked and the photo that supports it stay attached to the item, on your device.
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