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Inventory appraisals for charitable donation, covering finished goods, raw materials, retail merchandise, and surplus stock, prepared as qualified appraisals under the IRS Form 8283 requirements. AppraiseItNow values donated apparel, food and beverage stock, medical supplies, consumer electronics, and warehouse overstock throughout the United States.
DEFENSIBLE, USPAP-COMPLIANT INVENTORY APPRAISAL REPORTS — QUALIFIED FOR THE IRS, RECEIVING CHARITIES, AND TAX PREPARERS.
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Owner & CEO
Joe founded AppraiseItNow to make a certified, USPAP-compliant appraisal as simple to order as anything else online. A former Bain & Company strategy consultant, Joe leads the entire team and specializes in strategy, growth, and the firm's tech capabilities.
Personal Property Appraiser
ISA Accredited Member with 30 years in the trade, from running estate sales and an auction gallery to appraising luxury apparel, furniture, artwork, antiques, and business assets, primarily for IRS tax filings.
Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
Third-generation auctioneer and CAGA Certified Appraiser with more than 20 years valuing machinery, equipment, vehicles, business assets, and estates for banks, attorneys, and trustees across the Carolinas.
Personal Property Appraiser
ISA Accredited Member specializing in Asian art, with a Master's from SOAS and a Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art. Ashley chairs the ISA's Antiques, Furnishings, and Decorative Arts committee and appraises for charitable donation, insurance, and equitable distribution.
Client Success Manager
Manages each engagement from the first enquiry to the delivered report, and keeps you posted at every step along the way.
International Society of AppraisersAccredited Member
Certified Appraisers Guild of AmericaCertified Appraiser
The Appraisal FoundationAuthorized by Congress as the source of appraisal standardsIRS Form 8283
Once the deduction you claim for donated inventory passes $5,000, the IRS requires a qualified appraisal and Section B of Form 8283. We prepare the appraisal and complete the appraiser's part of the form.
A qualified appraisal is required for items reportable in Section B and in certain cases must be attached.
Our appraisers develop the fair market value of the donated goods, and that is the figure Section B of Form 8283 reports. IRS Publication 561 then treats inventory as ordinary income property, so the deductible amount starts from that figure and is reduced. The second step is where most inventory donations land somewhere the donor did not expect.
The reduction rule
The contribution is the goods' fair market value reduced by the gain that would have been ordinary income or short-term capital gain had the stock been sold at that value. For merchandise a business holds for sale, that strips out the markup and generally leaves the donor's cost.
The narrow exception
A C corporation can deduct more than cost when a qualified charity uses the donated inventory in a way related to its exempt purpose and solely for the care of the ill, the needy, or infants: basis plus half the appreciation, capped at twice basis. Sole proprietors, partnerships, and S corporations do not qualify for it, though the separate rule for apparently wholesome food is open to any business. Eligibility is a call for the donor's tax adviser, and we supply the valuation both calculations run on.
Cost on the record
Because the deduction usually lands at cost, we state each lot's acquisition dates and cost basis alongside its fair market value. The donor's accountant can then work the reduction from the report itself instead of going back through the warehouse records.
A donated warehouse lot is rarely uniform. We value the goods as what they actually are, food with a shelf life, apparel with a season, electronics with a spec generation, and the report states what limited each lot.
Goods we value
Our inventory valuation practice covers stock released to food banks, disaster relief organizations, schools, hospitals, and other qualified charities:
Dating and obsolescence
Product six months from its expiry date, an off-season apparel run, and a discontinued electronics SKU can each be in perfect condition and still be worth a fraction of current stock. We identify the limit that applies to a given lot and how it was measured, because obsolescence is where inventory value moves fastest.
Lot composition
Two lots of the same nominal size can sit far apart in value on SKU mix, size and color ratios, packaging condition, and how much sorting or repacking the goods need before they can move again. We group a donation into lots that share those characteristics and value each one on its own.
An examiner testing a noncash contribution works backward from the number on the return to the goods behind it. Every inventory donation report we prepare is written to make that trail short.
In every report
The report describes the donated stock in the detail the qualified appraisal rules ask for:
Who prepares it
Our appraisers hold credentials with organizations such as the ASA, ISA, and CAGA, and prepare every inventory donation report in accordance with USPAP and the qualified appraisal requirements that govern noncash contributions. Tell us the filing deadline you are working toward and we confirm up front whether we can meet it.
What clients say we are known for
Across 80+ published AppraiseItNow reviews the picture is consistent: every one is from a client who paid us for an appraisal, and the three things they raise most often are that they would hire us again, how quickly we answer, and how much research is visible in the report.
We had a very unusual appraisal request for merchandise valued at over half a million dollars, and the team handled it quickly and thoroughly. We will definitely return for any future appraisal needs and highly recommend them to anyone in need of appraisal services. – TGBA, Inc., Tampa, FL
Inventory Appraisal for Charitable Donation
I had items appraised for both my business and personal wardrobe, and the experience was seamless. The appraisal was comprehensive and detailed, the turnaround time was reasonable, and Joe was communicative, quick to respond, and very patient in answering all of my questions. It made the entire process feel effortless, and I will definitely be using their services again in the future!
Inventory Appraisal for Charitable Donation
AppraiseItNow was timely and thorough. Their communication was excellent and they were really easy to work with. I received a text and email immediately upon completing the inquiry form and was able to get them all the info they needed within an hour to get the ball rolling. The cost was absolutely reasonable for what we saved by having this done. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for an online appraisal!
Inventory Appraisal for Charitable Donation
Joe is very helpful and professional! I have searched for appraisers before and it’s hard to find someone who can manage complex projects! The items I donated covers many skus and Joe has managed to help me valuate them quickly and accurately! The team provided me with all necessary documents too so I can submit with my tax return. Joe is there to answer all my questions as well. Very pleasant experience with him and highly recommend!
Inventory Appraisal for Charitable Donation
From the start they were very responsive, price competitive, and had a quick turn around time. Thank you so much to Joe who was very sweet in responding to my emails; I am looking forward to utilizing AppraiseItNow for many years to come.
Very thorough and professional — great communication and outstanding service. Highly impressed with their work!
No. Fair market value is the price the goods would change hands for between a willing buyer and a willing seller in the market where that property is most commonly sold to the public, which for a warehouse lot of overstock or discontinued merchandise is rarely the retail ticket. Evidence from wholesale, closeout, and secondary-market transactions carries more weight, adjusted for quantity, condition, and how much of the stock that market could absorb. Overstated retail-based figures are among the most common problems in noncash contribution filings under IRS Publication 561.
No. Quantities come from your inventory records, and the appraiser verifies them through observation, sampling, and reconciliation against the perpetual system or a physical count your team already performed. What the appraiser must independently assess is condition, marketability, and value, since those drive the conclusion and are what an examiner tests.
Yes. A single qualified appraisal can cover goods released from multiple warehouses or stores as long as it identifies what was donated from each location, the quantities, and the condition of the stock at each site, with the effective date tied to the contribution. Grouping still follows the similar-items rule when you are working out which categories cross the $5,000 threshold.
An item or SKU-level listing with quantities, unit cost, and acquisition dates is the core of it. Beyond that, recent sales and markdown history, any existing write-down or obsolescence analysis, photographs or access for inspection, and the donee organization's name and the contribution date let the appraiser scope the engagement and quote a fixed fee before work begins.
