Donated T-shirt value: what a used tee is worth for taxes
Updated , edition 2026.1
A plain adult T-shirt in good used condition is generally worth $2.75 to $4.50, about $3.75 each, and $1 to $6 across conditions. Tees are the highest-volume item in most donation bags and the lowest-value one per piece, which makes counting them accurately worth more than arguing about the tier.
- Typical value, good condition
- $3.75
- Published range, good condition
- $2.75 to $4.50
Donated T-shirt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult T-shirt or tank (men's or women's) | $4.50 to $6 | $2.75 to $4.50 | $1 to $2.75 | Source 1 for Adult T-shirt or tank (men's or women's) |
| Kids' T-shirt (infant to youth)Girls' Clothing | $2.25 to $3 | $1.50 to $2.25 | $0.50 to $1.50 | Source 1 for Kids' T-shirt (infant to youth) |
| For comparison: women's polo or button-down | $9 to $12 | $6 to $9 | $3 to $6 | Source 1 for For comparison: women's polo or button-downSource 2 for For comparison: women's polo or button-downSource 3 for For comparison: women's polo or button-down |
| For comparison: men's woven shirtMen's Clothing | $7 to $9 | $5 to $7 | $3 to $5 | Source 4 for For comparison: men's woven shirtSource 5 for For comparison: men's woven shirtSource 1 for For comparison: men's woven shirtSource 2 for For comparison: men's woven shirtSource 3 for For comparison: men's woven shirt |
| For comparison: sweatshirt or hoodie | $9 to $12 | $6 to $9 | $2 to $6 | Source 1 for For comparison: sweatshirt or hoodie |
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.
Men's and women's tees and tank tops share the adult band; kids' tees cover infant to youth sizes. The last three rows are for comparison: sort collared shirts and sweatshirts out of the tee pile before you count, because they sit higher. See sweaters and baby clothes for those rows.
Count yours
Set a count and a condition on each line for a total range you can print, link to, or save.
4 pieces, suggested total
$8
Supported range $4 to $11
- 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's donor guide lists women's and men's T-shirts at $1 to $6. Catholic Charities' guide (2012) lists T-shirts and tanks at $1 to $7. We use $1 to $6 and split it into three condition bands. Men's and women's tees and tank tops share the band.
The dataset record
Published: goodwill-gii-donor-valuation-guide "T-shirts (Women's)" $1-$6. Consolidated by lower median to L*=$1, H*=$6; 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 t-shirt in the value tool.
- Like new
- Unworn or tagged, neckband flat, print crisp.
- Good
- Worn and washed, neckband sits flat, no stains, little pilling.
- Fair
- Faded or lightly pilled, print cracked, still clean and flat at the neck.
What drives the value of a donated t-shirt
The tier you pick is the biggest lever on this page. Here is what actually decides it.
A T-shirt sits near the bottom of the clothing tables on purpose. It is the garment resale shops receive most and sell cheapest, and the published band reflects a plain cotton tee rather than anything with a story attached. Tank tops share that band. A knit polo, a button-down, or a tunic does not: those are priced on the shirt and blouse lines, which sit meaningfully higher, so what looks like one drawer is two rows.
Condition on a tee comes down to four things a photograph shows immediately: whether the neckband has gone wavy, whether the underarms are stained or yellowed, whether the body has pilled, and whether the printed graphic has cracked or flaked. A cracked print is not automatically fatal, since worn graphics sell, but a stretched neck generally is, because nobody buys a shirt that will not sit flat.
Event, band, and sports tees occasionally sell for far more than any published clothing band. If that is genuinely what you gave, the number has to come from comparable sales you can point to, not from the general tee row with optimism applied. Note the print, the year, and the tag while you still have the shirt.
Why Salvation Army says up to $12 and we say $6
The Salvation Army's "Shirt $3 to $12" covers every shirt type, from a tee to a dress shirt, in one range. Guides that price T-shirts separately land lower: Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona prints men's T-shirts at $3 to $6, and Goodwill's donor guide prints $1 to $6. A tee is the cheapest shirt on the rack, so its own row is the defensible one. Why our values can look lower explains the method.
| Guide | Row as published | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Salvation Army | Shirt (men's) | $3 to $12 |
| Goodwill Northern New England | Shirt (men's) | $4 to $9 |
| Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona | T-shirts (men's) | $3 to $6 |
| Goodwill donor guide | T-shirt | $1 to $6 |
| DeductiBee 2026.1 | Adult T-shirt or tank | $1 to $6 |
Four things to check on every tee
Neckband: flat is fine, wavy or stretched means do not claim it. Underarms: yellowing or stains that survive a wash mean do not claim it. Pilling: light is Good, heavy is Fair. Print: crisp is Good or better, cracked or flaking is Fair.
Worked example: 6 good tees at $3.75 and 4 fair at $2 come to $30.50 (range $20.50 to $38), the counter's starting tally. That is two lines in a donation record, not ten. If your noncash total for the year passes $500, Form 8283 applies. The counter prints as a one-page tally with date, charity and a signature line; the printable value guide covers the rest of the bag.
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 a stack of shirts spread out so each one is visible rather than folded, since the count is the part of a tee donation most likely to be questioned and a single frame can support a dozen lines. Add one close shot of a representative neckband and underarm. For a like-new claim, a tee still folded with its tag on is about as clean as evidence gets.
Items people log as a t-shirt by mistake
Filing an item under the wrong line is the quietest way to end up with a number you cannot support.
Polo shirts and button-downs
A collared knit polo or a woven button-down is priced on the shirt line, above the tee band, in both the men's and women's tables. Sorting the collared shirts out of the tee pile before you count is usually worth more than the time it takes.
Sweatshirts and hoodies
Fleece tops are filed under activewear rather than shirts and carry their own higher range. A hoodie is not a heavy T-shirt as far as these sources are concerned.
Children's T-shirts
Kids' tees have their own line and a lower band, split across the girls', boys', toddlers', and infants' tables. A bag of mixed adult and children's shirts is two sets of rows, not 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 Blouses and Shirts
- Blouse$8, good
- Button-down shirt$8, good
- Tunic$8, good
- Tank top$3.75, good
- Sleeveless top$3.75, good
- Vest$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 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.
- 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.
- ValuesBaby clothes donation value: what each piece is worthWhat donated baby clothes are worth for taxes in 2026: sleepers, onesies, pants, dresses and snowsuits by condition, and a bin counter that totals a whole tote.
- 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.
- 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 t-shirt
Is it worth logging individual T-shirts?
Can I deduct a T-shirt with a small stain?
Are band or vintage tees valued differently?
How much is a bag of T-shirts worth?
What does Goodwill say a T-shirt is worth?
Do I need a receipt for donated T-shirts?
Are long-sleeve tees worth more?
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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