I just dropped off a box to Goodwill in Monroe: mostly clothes, some craft supplies, a couple of mis-matched mugs.

The clerks always offer me a tax receipt, although I decline. I haven’t quite jumped into the mentality of all the record-keeping that would involve with Goodwill donations.

But I did keep the receipts for home and garden supply donations I made during 2007 to the ReStore thrift shop owned by Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County, and my tax lady was able to work the value of those donations into our tax returns.

Maybe there are possibilities after all with my other in-kind donations.

One of the press releases that arrived in the mail to the newsroom today was from Certified Used Clothing Values of Lincoln, Neb. Their press release promotes their book “Money for Your Used Clothing,” available for $25, order on at the web site. The book lists values for the 2008 tax season for more than 700 items of clothing and household goods that are commonly donated to charity.

Where else can you research the allowable deductions?

While these lists are not quite as extensive, they are free and can get you started:

• Goodwill has a page on its web site about that topic. You can download a 3-page pdf file that gives typical ranges of price values. (I think I will print that off and put it in my household binder.)
• Salvation Army also has a valuation guide on its web site that you can bookmark on social networking sites.