How much is a donated sweater worth? ($4 to $15 each)
Updated , edition 2026.1
Most used sweaters are worth $8 to $12 in good condition: women's $4 to $15 across conditions, men's $4 to $12, kids' $2 to $8. Condition moves the number more than fiber or brand does, and knitwear is where the published guides care least about fiber and most about whether the piece is intact.
- Typical value, good condition
- $10
- Published range, good condition
- $8 to $12
Donated sweater values by condition (2026)
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 sweater (pullover) | $12 to $15 | $8 to $12 | $4 to $8 | Source 1 for Women's sweater (pullover)Source 2 for Women's sweater (pullover)Source 3 for Women's sweater (pullover) |
| Men's sweaterMen's Clothing | $10 to $12 | $7 to $10 | $4 to $7 | Source 4 for Men's sweaterSource 5 for Men's sweaterSource 1 for Men's sweaterSource 2 for Men's sweaterSource 3 for Men's sweater |
| Kids' sweaterBoys' Clothing | $6 to $8 | $4 to $6 | $2 to $4 | Source 3 for Kids' sweaterSource 1 for Kids' sweaterSource 2 for Kids' sweater |
| Women's cardigan | $12 to $15 | $8 to $12 | $4 to $8 | Source 1 for Women's cardiganSource 2 for Women's cardiganSource 3 for Women's cardigan |
| Women's cashmere sweater | $12 to $15 | $8 to $12 | $4 to $8 | Source 1 for Women's cashmere sweaterSource 2 for Women's cashmere sweaterSource 3 for Women's cashmere sweater |
| Sweater vest | $7 to $9 | $5 to $7 | $3 to $5 | Source 1 for Sweater vest |
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' sweaters cover girls', boys' and toddlers' sizes, which share one band. Cashmere carries no published premium; see the FAQ.
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
$60
Supported range $48 to $72
- 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
Three charity guides publish a women's sweater range: Salvation Army $4 to $16, Goodwill Industries International $5 to $15, Goodwill Northern New England $4 to $13. We use $4 to $15 and split it into three condition bands. Men's and kids' sweaters are derived the same way from their own published rows.
The dataset record
Published: salvation-army-donation-value-guide "Sweater" $4-$16; goodwill-gii-donor-valuation-guide "Sweaters (Women's)" $5-$15; goodwill-nne-donation-value-guide "Sweater" $4-$13. Consolidated by lower median to L*=$4, H*=$15; tiers split at 0/35/70/100% of the span per CITATIONS.md §3.4-3.6.
The same rules apply to every item: how the values are built. Want a different condition? Look up this sweater in the value tool.
- Like new
- Unworn or nearly so, no pilling, cuffs and hem spring back, clean backlit.
- Good
- Worn, light pilling, shape intact, no holes or stains.
- Fair
- Faded or stretched at cuffs or hem, but whole and clean.
What drives the value of a donated sweater
The tier you pick is the biggest lever on this page. Here is what actually decides it.
The sources behind this page put cashmere on the same band as a pullover, a cardigan, and a turtleneck. That is genuinely how it was published, and we are not going to add a premium we cannot cite, so a cashmere sweater in unworn condition argues its case through the Like new column rather than through a higher row. If a specific piece is worth substantially more than the band, that has to rest on your own evidence of what it sells for used.
What does move a sweater is structural. Pilling under the arms and along the sides is normal wear and lands a piece in the middle of the range. A stretched cuff or hem that no longer springs back, a dropped stitch running down the body, or a single moth hole moves it to the bottom or out of deductible condition entirely, because a hole in knitwear grows every time it is handled.
Sweater vests are priced on their own lower line, and the men's and women's tables do not agree on the plain sweater band, so the table shows both rather than picking one. Check which drawer the piece came out of before you pick a row.
What the big charity guides say a sweater is worth
Every major guide shows women's, men's and children's sweaters side by side, with one low-to-high range each and no condition split. Our table splits each range into three condition bands, which is why our Good figure is narrower. Why our values can look lower explains the method.
| Guide | Women's | Men's | Kids' |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salvation Army | $4 to $16 | $3 to $12 | $3 to $8 |
| Goodwill Industries International | $5 to $15 | $5 to $15 | $1 to $6 |
| Goodwill Northern New England | $4 to $13 | $4 to $6 | $2 to $10 |
| DeductiBee 2026.1 | $4 to $15 | $4 to $12 | $2 to $8 |
Is my sweater deductible? A five-point check
No holes, checked by holding it to a window. No stains that survive a wash. Cuffs and hem that spring back. No felting or shrinking. Clean and folded. Pass all five and the sweater is Good or Like new; a stretched cuff or faded body is Fair; a hole, a permanent stain or felting means recycle it, do not deduct it.
A bag of sweaters, totaled
Six women's sweaters in good condition come to $48 to $72, about $60, the counter's starting tally. A kitchen bag of 8 adult sweaters, mostly good, is about $64 to $96. Valuing a mixed bag of clothes? The bag value calculator totals it by item.
Designer and high-end knitwear
The dataset keeps a designer sweater and knitwear line with no published range, because no charity guide prices labels. For a piece worth more than the band, use comparable sales: sold listings for the same brand, style and condition, saved with your photo. That is fair market value under Publication 561. Above $500 of noncash gifts for the year, Form 8283 applies.
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.
Lay the sweater flat and photograph it whole, then hold it up to a window and photograph it backlit. Backlighting is the one technique that reliably shows moth damage and thinning at the elbows before anyone else finds it, and a clean backlit frame is a stronger argument for the top tier than a flattering photograph of the front. Note the fiber content from the care label while it is in front of you.
Items people log as a sweater by mistake
Filing an item under the wrong line is the quietest way to end up with a number you cannot support.
Sweatshirts and fleece pullovers
A crewneck sweatshirt is filed under activewear, not knitwear, and carries a different band. The test is construction rather than warmth: knit is a sweater, looped fleece is a sweatshirt.
A cardigan worn as a jacket
A knitted cardigan stays on the sweater line even if it lives on a coat hook. A tailored blazer or suit jacket is a different item on a different row, and mixing them means one of the two is on the wrong number.
Sweater vests
The sleeveless version has its own published line below the full sweater band. It is a small difference per piece and a real one across a stack of them.
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 Sweaters
- Pullover$10, good
- Turtleneck$10, 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.
- ValuesWhat is a donated winter coat worth for taxes in 2026?A donated winter coat in good condition is generally worth $19 to $30 for taxes, up to $40 like new. Men's, women's and kids' ranges, sourced, and a calculator.
- 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.
- ValuesHow much are donated jeans worth?A donated pair of jeans in good condition is generally worth $10 to $16, about $13. Like new runs $16 to $21. Value a whole bag pair by pair, with sources.
- ValuesHow much is a donated children's winter coat worth?A donated children's winter coat is generally worth $7 to $11 in good condition, up to $15 like new. Compare Salvation Army and Goodwill ranges, total a bag.
- 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 sweater
Is a cashmere sweater worth more than a wool one?
Can I claim a sweater with a moth hole?
Does pilling drop a sweater to the lowest tier?
How much is a sweater worth at Goodwill for taxes?
What is a men's sweater worth donated?
Can I deduct a bag of sweaters without listing each one?
What if I paid $200 for the sweater?
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 .
- 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 .
- 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 .
- 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.
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Condition on the record
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