How much is a donated microwave worth?
A working countertop microwave sits in a narrow band, and almost everything that moves it is visible in thirty seconds of looking at the inside of the door.
- Typical value, good condition
- $31
- Published range, good condition
- $24 to $38
What a donated microwave 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $38 to $50 | $24 to $38 | $10 to $24 | Source 1 for Standard |
| Over-the-Range | $38 to $50 | $24 to $38 | $10 to $24 | Source 1 for Over-the-Range |
| Toaster Oven | $16 to $20 | $10 to $16 | $5 to $10 | Source 5 for Toaster Oven |
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-donation-value-guide "Microwave" $10.00-$50.00. Single primary source. L*=$10.00, H*=$50.00; tiers per CITATIONS.md 3.4-3.6. DIVERGENCE, flagged for audit: goodwill-average-price-list prints Microwave at $10 as a good-condition point value, well below the derived Good band. The publishers themselves disagree (The Salvation Army's single row runs $10-$50). The methodology bars a corroborating point value from moving a primary range, so the primary stands, but a second primary range for this item would be worth hunting. Published rows are unqualified, so they back the Standard leaf only; more specific types below are unsourced. CORROBORATION 2026-08-04 (registry pass, no values changed): kokomo-rescue-mission-valuation-guide "Microwave" $10.00-$25.00. All registered corroborating, so per CITATIONS.md 3.3 they do not enter the L*/H* consolidation and the published range above is unchanged. CORROBORATION COVERAGE PASS 2026-08-04 (full-table re-read, no values changed): goodwill-ohio-valley-fair-market-value-sheet "Microwaves" $20.00-$50.00, whose high matches the primary exactly while its low sits at the top of the derived Fair band; goodwill-greater-mc-donation-value-guide "Microwave" $14.99 point value. Neither enters the consolidation (CITATIONS.md 3.3), but together they weaken the DIVERGENCE recorded above.
- 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 microwave
The tier you pick is the biggest lever on this page. Here is what actually decides it.
Whether it runs is the first and largest question, and the second is whether the cavity is intact. Burn marks, flaking paint, or rust on the interior floor and walls take a unit out of resale entirely, because a compromised cavity is a safety problem rather than a cosmetic one. Charities that accept small appliances generally test them at intake, so a unit that fails there produces no deduction at all.
After that it is the parts that go missing in a move: the glass turntable plate and the roller ring underneath it, the removable rack on larger units, and the door latch. A microwave without its turntable is usually sold as-is at a discount or not at all, and the plate is model-specific enough that it cannot be swapped from another unit. Wattage matters less to a thrift buyer than the shelf space it takes, which is why capacity and cosmetic condition tend to decide the tier more than the label on the door.
Over-the-range units are the same appliance with an installation problem attached. They need the mounting plate, the template, the bolts, and usually a second person, and a unit that arrives without its mounting hardware is worth noticeably less to the next owner even though the guide prices it in the same band as a countertop model.
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.
Run it for a minute with a cup of water in it before you decide on a tier, and photograph the interior with the turntable in place and the door open, which is the shot that shows both the cavity condition and that nothing is missing. Note the model number from the sticker inside the door frame, and keep the charity's receipt describing it as one working microwave rather than as an unspecified appliance.
Like new for this item generally means recent, unmarked inside, with the plate, the manual, and no discoloration on the vent. Good means it works and looks used: light scratching on the exterior, a clean cavity, plate present. Fair means it works but shows real wear such as a scuffed handle, a stained interior that will not clean up, or a missing manual. A unit that does not heat is not a Fair microwave, it is not a deduction.
Items people log as a microwave by mistake
Filing an item under the wrong line is the quietest way to end up with a number you cannot support.
Toaster oven
Priced on its own row and generally well below a microwave, because they are cheap new and pile up at thrift intake. A countertop convection oven is closer to a toaster oven than to a microwave for valuation purposes.
Over-the-range microwave
Same band in the guides, different object in practice: it is worth what someone will pay to install it, so the mounting hardware and the exhaust filter belong in the photo and on the receipt description.
Microwave cart or stand
That is furniture, not an appliance, and it is valued in the furniture section rather than here. Donating both means two line items, not one.
Up, sideways, and out
Every value on this page comes out of the appliances section of the donation value guide, which shows the rest of the category with the same sourcing.
Also in Microwave
- Other$31, good
Full ranges, all three tiers, and the sources for each are in the appliances valuation guide.
- ValuesAppliances donation valuesThe whole category, item by item, with the published range and the source behind every line.
- ValuesWhat is a donated vacuum cleaner worth?Donation values for used vacuum cleaners, stick and handheld units, shop vacuums, and carpet cleaners, by condition tier, with the source cited on each range.
- ValuesHow much is a donated washer and dryer worth?What donated washers and dryers are generally worth by condition, why a matched pair is two line items, and where the published guides stop covering large appliances.
- ValuesWhat is a donated refrigerator worth?Donation values for used refrigerators and freezers by condition tier, what actually moves the number, and the evidence to keep for a large appliance pickup.
- ValuesHow much is a donated pair of jeans worth?What a donated pair of jeans is generally worth, why denim is priced above other pants, and how to tell like new from good on a pair you actually wore.
- 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 microwave
Can I deduct a microwave that does not heat?
Do I need the glass turntable plate?
Is an over-the-range microwave worth more than a countertop one?
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 .
- 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 .
- Fair Market Value Sheet (Revised 3/1/2023)
Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries (Cincinnati, OH)
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 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 .
- 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 .
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 microwave is rarely the only thing in the car.
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Condition on the record
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