How much are donated jeans worth?
Updated , edition 2026.1
A donated pair of adult jeans in good used condition is generally worth $10 to $16 ($13 typical). Like new runs $16 to $21 and fair $4 to $10. Below fair, a pair is generally not deductible. Denim is the one trouser line the published guides consistently price above everything else in the drawer, and the wear that decides its tier is easy to photograph.
- Typical value, good condition
- $13
- Published range, good condition
- $10 to $16
What a donated pair of jeans 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's jeans | $16 to $21 | $10 to $16 | $4 to $10 | Source 1 for Women's jeans |
| Men's jeansMen's Clothing | $16 to $21 | $10 to $16 | $4 to $10 | Source 2 for Men's jeansSource 3 for Men's jeansSource 1 for Men's jeans |
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.
Kids' jeans are priced on their own lower lines: see children's jeans and pants.
Count yours
Set a count and a condition on each line for a total range you can print, link to, or save.
3 pieces, suggested total
$39
Supported range $30 to $48
- 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
Goodwill Industries International's donor guide lists women's jeans at $4 to $21. We split that span into three condition bands, and the men's row carries the same figures because the source does not price them differently.
The dataset record
Published: goodwill-gii-donor-valuation-guide "Jeans (Women's)" $4-$21. Consolidated by lower median to L*=$4, H*=$21; tiers split at 0/35/70/100% of the span per CITATIONS.md §3.4-3.6. Single primary source.
The same rules apply to every item: how the values are built. Want a different condition? Look up this pair of jeans in the value tool.
- Like new
- No fading at the seams, sharp hem, no thinning, zipper and button intact; tags still on is the clearest case.
- Good
- Worn and washed, even color, no holes or thin spots, hardware works.
- Fair
- Frayed hem or some fading and waistband stretch, still whole with no holes.
What drives the value of a donated pair of jeans
The tier you pick is the biggest lever on this page. Here is what actually decides it.
Denim resells better than lighter-weight trousers, which is why the guides behind this page publish a higher band for jeans than for the casual pants, khakis, and dress pants sitting next to them in the same subcategory. The range here is written for an ordinary adult pair. It is not written for a premium label still in the store's tissue paper, and it is not written for a pair with a knee out.
Wear on jeans turns up in the same four places every time: the hem where it drags on the ground, the knees, the seat, and the fabric behind the back pockets. Fading is not damage, because faded denim sells perfectly well, but thinning you can see daylight through is, and a blowout at the crotch or knee generally puts a pair below good used condition, which is the point at which it stops being deductible rather than merely being worth less.
Everything else moves a pair inside the band rather than out of it. An intact zipper and button, a full set of belt loops, an unaltered inseam, and a cut that is still being sold argue for the top of the range. A shortened hem, a replaced button, or a stretched waistband argue for the bottom.
Why other guides give different numbers for jeans
Guides disagree because they print different rows: some have a jeans line, some fold denim into pants, and one prices jeans only for children. We use the guide that prints adult jeans by name. Why our values can look lower explains the method, and Goodwill and Salvation Army values are compared in full on the blog.
| Guide | Row | Published range |
|---|---|---|
| Goodwill Industries International | Jeans (women's) | $4 to $21 |
| Goodwill Northern New England | Pants (men's and women's) | $4 to $23 |
| Salvation Army | Jeans (children's only) | $4 to $12 |
| Salvation Army | Slacks (men's / women's) | $5 to $12 / $4 to $12 |
| DeductiBee 2026.1 | Jeans, adult, all conditions | $4 to $21 |
Where to look before you pick a tier
Jeans wear out in the same places every time. Check each zone, photograph it, and let the worst one set the tier.
| Wear zone | What you see | Tier it points to |
|---|---|---|
| Hem | Frayed or dragged through | Fair, or out if torn |
| Knees | Thinning you can see light through | Fair, or out if open |
| Seat and behind back pockets | Thin or shiny fabric | Fair, or out if worn through |
| Crotch | Blowout | Not deductible |
| Zipper or button | Broken or missing | Repair it, or Fair |
| Waistband | Stretched | Bottom of the band |
| Color | Fading | Not damage |
| Below fair | Holes outside designed distressing | Generally not deductible, no value |
Valuing a bag of jeans
Three pairs, all good: 3 at $13 is $39.
Five pairs, two like new, two good and one fair: $36 + $26 + $7 is $69.
Eight pairs, three like new, four good and one fair: $54 + $52 + $7 is $113. That will not need Form 8283 on its own, but it counts toward the $500 noncash total for the year. Count by the pair, not by the bag, or use the bag value calculator for a mixed bag.
What charities accept for jeans
Clean, dry, no odor, a working zipper and no holes outside designed distressing. Holed or blown-out denim belongs in textile recycling, which is worth doing and is not a deduction. Keep a short record: the date, the charity, pairs by condition, the photo set and the receipt.
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.
Three photographs cover it: the pair laid flat front and back, a close shot of the knees and hem, and the interior label showing size and brand. Those frames are what a like-new claim actually rests on, because they show unfaded color, a sharp hem, and no thinning. If the tags are still attached, photograph them as well, since original tags are the cleanest support for the top tier that exists.
Count and log jeans by the pair rather than by the bag. Several pairs dropped off together are generally a group of similar items, and the group is what the totals are measured against when a year's giving approaches the point where Form 8283 comes into it.
Items people log as a pair of jeans by mistake
Filing an item under the wrong line is the quietest way to end up with a number you cannot support.
Casual pants, khakis, and chinos
Non-denim trousers have their own published line, and it sits well below the jeans band. Putting a pair of khakis on the jeans row overstates the value of every pair in the bag, and it is the single most common way a clothing total drifts upward without anyone deciding to inflate it.
Denim jackets and denim skirts
Denim is a fabric, not a line item. A denim jacket is priced with outerwear and a denim skirt with skirts, both of them below the jeans band, so what the item is worn as decides the row rather than what it is cut from.
Children's jeans
Kids' denim carries its own smaller published range across the girls', boys', toddlers', and infants' lines. It is a different row on a different page, not a discount applied to this one.
Up, sideways, and out
Every value on this page comes out of the clothing section of the donation value guide, which shows the rest of the category with the same sourcing.
Also in Pants
- Casual pants$6, good
- Khakis$6, good
- Cargo pants$6, good
- Corduroy pants$6, good
- Capri pants$6, good
- Dress pants$6, good
Full ranges, all three tiers, and the sources for each are in the clothing valuation guide.
- ValuesClothing donation valuesThe whole category, item by item, with the published range and the source behind every line.
- ValuesHow much are donated kids' jeans and pants worth?A donated pair of kids' jeans or pants is worth about $6 in good condition, $2 to $10 by condition. Baby to size 16, sourced ranges, and a bag counter.
- ValuesDonated shoes value: what a pair is worth for taxes in 2026A donated pair of shoes is generally worth $11 to $19 in good condition. Sneakers, dress shoes, boots and sandals, men's and women's, every value cited.
- ValuesHow much is a donated sweater worth? ($4 to $15 each)A donated sweater is worth $4 to $15 for taxes. Women's, men's and kids' values by condition, how Goodwill and Salvation Army compare, and a quick total tool.
- ValuesDonated T-shirt value: what a used tee is worth for taxesA donated T-shirt is worth about $1 to $6 for taxes, $3.75 typical in good condition. Count a stack of tees by condition and get a total you can back up.
- CalculatorGot a whole bag of these?Estimate a mixed bag by size and contents when itemizing every piece is not realistic.
- 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 pair of jeans
Are donated jeans worth more than other pants?
Do designer jeans change what I can claim?
Can I deduct jeans with a hole in them?
How do I value a whole bag of jeans?
How much is a bag of jeans worth for donation?
What value does Goodwill give jeans?
What value does the Salvation Army give jeans?
Do men's and women's jeans have different donation values?
Do I need a receipt for donated jeans?
Can I deduct donated jeans if I take the standard deduction?
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.
- 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 pair of jeans is rarely the only thing in the car.
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Same numbers, offline
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Condition on the record
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