How much is a donated desk worth? 2026 values by desk type
Updated , edition 2026.1
A donated desk in good condition is generally worth $38 to $50, and $26 to $60 across all conditions. Computer desks carry a single published figure of $10, and secretary desks run $85 to $115 in good condition. Standing and L-shaped desks have no published row; the method for them is below. 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.
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. Back to the full chart of donation values by item, or add this to a list. Got a receipt for this? Check it.
The office chair, computer, monitor, printer and lamp rows are here for a home office cleanout. The chair has its own page under armchairs and chairs, and the electronics are covered in the electronics guide.
Count yours
Set a count and a condition on each line for a total range you can print, link to, or save.
6 pieces, suggested total
$326
Supported range $250 to $402
- $250 or more in one drop-off generally needs a written acknowledgment from the charity. What it has to say
- This is fair market value, not tax saved. What it is worth to you
Photograph them before they leave the house. DeductiBee keeps the count, the condition, the photo and the value together on your iPhone until April. A counted batch is one entry; free for 20 new entries a year.
How this range was derived
The published band is $26 to $60, from The Salvation Army and checked against 2 other published guides. We split that band into three condition tiers: the bottom 35% is Fair, 35% to 70% is Good, and the top 30% is Like new. The suggested figure is the point we prefill inside each tier.
The dataset record
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.
The same rules apply to every item: how the values are built. Want a different condition? Look up this desk in the value tool.
- Like new
- No visible wear, all hardware and keys present, drawers glide.
- Good
- Light surface wear, square and stable, all parts present.
- Fair
- Visible scratches or ink marks, still stable and usable.
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.
Why the Salvation Army says $145 and we say $60
The Salvation Army prints one band for every desk, from a student desk to an executive piece, so its top figure describes the best desk it ever priced, not a typical one. The other guides print narrower bands. We take the lower median of the published lows and highs, $26 to $60, so one wide band does not set the figure, then split it into three condition tiers. A secretary desk keeps its own, higher row because the guides price it separately.
| Guide | Row | Published range |
|---|---|---|
| Salvation Army | Desk | $26 to $145 |
| Salvation Army | Secretary | $52 to $145 |
| Goodwill Industries International | Desks | $30 to $60 |
| Catholic Charities Maine | Desk | $20 to $100 |
| Goodwill average price list | Computer desk | $10 |
| DeductiBee 2026.1 | Desk, all conditions | $26 to $60 |
Which desk do you have?
Case-piece desk: solid or veneered wood, drawers that run on rails, no hex-key hardware. This is the main desk row. Secretary: a fall-front writing surface over drawers; the hinges and support arms decide its tier. Computer desk: laminate panels, cam locks and a keyboard tray, assembled with a hex key; one published figure, $10.
Standing desk: value the frame and top together, and only if the motor and controller work; a manual crank desk is judged on whether the crank still raises it smoothly. L-shaped, executive, roll-top, writing and kids' desks have no published row. For any of them, compare local used listings for a similar piece and keep the links; Goodwill's fallback of about 30% of what you paid is a second reference.
Will they take it?
Push the top corner sideways. If the desk racks, it will generally be refused. Flat-pack desks taken apart more than once, desks missing cam locks or drawer pulls, and desks too large for a standard doorway are the usual refusals. Pickup programs often decline particleboard, so call the store first and ask.
Home office cleanout: what the whole room is worth
A desk, office chair, desktop computer, monitor, printer and floor lamp, all in good condition, come to about $250 to $400 from the published ranges. That is the room the counter on this page starts with. Add a second monitor, a bookcase and a filing cabinet and the total nears $500, the point where Form 8283 applies. Laptops have their own page at laptop donation value.
Donating a desk your business depreciated
A desk you depreciated as a business asset is generally deductible only up to its adjusted basis, which after a few years of depreciation can be close to zero. Fair market value is the cap, not the starting point. If the desk was written off in full, the donation is generally worth little or nothing as a deduction, and the paperwork belongs with your business return. See IRS Publication 526 and confirm with a tax professional.
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.
- ValuesFurniture donation valuesThe whole category, item by item, with the published range and the source behind every line.
- ValuesHow much is a donated chair worth?A donated armchair in good condition is generally worth $33 to $55. Recliner, dining, office and rocking chair values by condition, with sources and IRS rules.
- ValuesHow much is a donated dining table worth?A donated dining table in good condition is generally worth $65 to $110. Total your chairs, buffet or full dining room set in one step, with every source cited.
- ValuesHow much is a donated dresser worth?A donated dresser is generally worth $34 to $48 in good condition, $50 to $80 with a mirror. Compare Goodwill, Salvation Army and Habitat ranges, log it free.
- ValuesLaptop donation value: what a used laptop is worth for taxesA used laptop in good condition is generally worth $37 to $50 donated. See the range by condition, when a newer model needs sold comps, and what to keep.
- 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?
Is office furniture tax deductible?
Why does the Salvation Army list a desk up to $145?
How do I value a standing desk?
What is an L-shaped desk worth?
Can I deduct a desk donated to a school?
What if the charity refuses the desk?
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 .
- Donation Value Guide - What is my Donation Worth?
Goodwill Northern New England
Primary value source. A published range from this guide can set the low or high end of an item's band. Fetched and read .
- Estimated Valuation Guide & Receipt for Items Donated to the Kokomo Rescue Mission
Kokomo Rescue Mission (Kokomo, Indiana; Federal I.D. No. 351104430)
Corroborating check. Used to sanity-check a band. Never moves a figure on its own. Fetched and read .
- Donation Value Guide
The Beacon House Association of San Pedro (Beacon House Thrift Shop, San Pedro, CA)
Corroborating check. Used to sanity-check a band. Never moves a figure on its own. Fetched and read .
- Estimated Donation Values
Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona
Primary value source. A published range from this guide can set the low or high end of an item's band. Fetched and read .
- Donation Value Guide - What is my donation worth?
Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago (Goodwill Retail Services, Inc., Tax ID# 39-2040239)
Corroborating check. Used to sanity-check a band. Never moves a figure on its own. Fetched and read .
- Donation Value Guide (2023 edition)
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Primary value source. A published range from this guide can set the low or high end of an item's band. 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.
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Condition on the record
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