Microwave donation value: what a used microwave is worth for taxes
Updated , edition 2026.1
A working countertop microwave in good condition is generally worth $24 to $38 as a donation, with $31 a defensible middle. Like new tops out near $50; a unit that does not heat is worth nothing. Almost everything that moves the value 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Countertop microwave | $38 to $50 | $24 to $38 | $10 to $24 | Source 1 for Countertop microwaveSource 2 for Countertop microwaveSource 3 for Countertop microwaveSource 4 for Countertop microwave |
| Over-the-range microwave (with mounting hardware) | $38 to $50 | $24 to $38 | $10 to $24 | Source 1 for Over-the-range microwave (with mounting hardware)Source 2 for Over-the-range microwave (with mounting hardware)Source 3 for Over-the-range microwave (with mounting hardware) |
| 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. Back to the full chart of donation values by item, or add this to a list. Got a receipt for this? Check it.
Count yours
Set a count and a condition on each line for a total range you can print, link to, or save.
1 piece, suggested total
$31
Supported range $24 to $38
- 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 Salvation Army publishes $10 to $50 for a microwave. We split that range into three condition tiers. One Goodwill list prints $10 for a good-condition unit, so if your microwave is older, the low end of Good is the safer claim.
The dataset record
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.
The same rules apply to every item: how the values are built. Want a different condition? Look up this microwave in the value tool.
- Like new
- Recent, unmarked inside, turntable, manual and no vent discoloration.
- Good
- Heats a cup of water in a minute, clean cavity, plate and roller ring present.
- Fair
- Works, but the exterior is worn or the plate is a replacement; no rust or burn marks inside.
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 the charities publish for a microwave
We use the Salvation Army's band because it is the only published range for a microwave by name. The Goodwill point value sits at the bottom of it, which is why an older unit belongs at the low end of Good. Why our values can look lower explains the method.
| Guide | Published figure | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Salvation Army | $10 to $50 | Range (our primary source) |
| Kokomo Rescue Mission | $10 to $25 | Range |
| Goodwill average price list | $10 | Single good-condition figure |
| Goodwill Northern New England | No row; about 30% of what you paid | Rule of thumb |
Four questions that set the tier
Does it heat a cup of water in 60 seconds? If not, it is $0: recycle it rather than donate it. Is the inside free of rust, burn marks and flaking paint? If not, it is also $0, because that is a safety problem. Are the glass plate and roller ring there? If not, Fair at best. Is it under about three years old, unmarked, with the manual? Then Like new; otherwise Good.
Will they take it?
Most thrift stores take working countertop microwaves. Some refuse over-the-range units without the mounting hardware, and Habitat ReStores often take them with it (see ReStore values). Units that do not work are refused; e-waste programs and retailer take-back handle those. Policies vary by location, so ask.
A receipt line that holds up: "One working countertop microwave, 1.1 cu ft, brand and model, good used condition, turntable included." See what to ask for on a receipt.
What a microwave is worth on your taxes
At a 22% marginal rate, $31 is worth about $7 in tax, and only if you itemize. The 2026 non-itemizer deduction is generally limited to cash gifts, so a donated microwave does not qualify for it. The value is in the whole carload: a kitchen clear-out often runs 10 to 20 items, and the donation calculator adds them up.
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.
- ValuesAppliances donation valuesThe whole category, item by item, with the published range and the source behind every line.
- ValuesHow much is a donated refrigerator worth?A working donated fridge is worth about $80 to $260 in 2026, around $175 in good condition. Check your fridge's tier, who takes it, and what to photograph.
- ValuesWhat are donated pots and pans worth, per piece and per set?Donated pots and pans are generally worth $1 to $3 each in 2026. Value a full cookware set, cast iron, and bakeware by condition, with every figure sourced.
- ValuesDishes donation value: what plates, mugs and glasses are worth for taxesDonated dishes are valued per piece: plates $0.50 to $3, mugs and glasses $0.50 to $2. Count your box, see the total, and copy a receipt line for your records.
- ValuesHow much is a donated vacuum cleaner worth?A donated vacuum is generally worth $10 to $40: $36 like new, $26 good, $15 fair. Goodwill and Salvation Army ranges, plus stick, shop and robot vacuums.
- 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?
How much does Goodwill say a microwave is worth?
Can I deduct a microwave I paid $200 for at $200?
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.
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Condition on the record
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