Receipts

[gigallan]

Hi folks. This is a relatively easy one, but not listed in the FAQ section:

I recently moved, and needed to get rid of lots of my books.
I donated the books to my local library, which is a part of 'Friends of the Library': http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/Departments/Library/friends.htm#Donations

Unfortunately, I did not keep a good accounting of the # of books I donated, and did not request a receipt.

Without a receipt, am I still entitled to take a deduction?
If I do, I will do my best to under-estimate the total value, but I will have no way to prove it.

Thanks.

P.S. In case the above URL was too subtle, I live in California.

 

[abezon]

You can deduct any amount you think is fair for the books. However, if you donate more than $250 worth at one time, you must get a receipt. Multiple $240 donations do not require receipts; a log of how many books you donated, the date, & the fair market value will suffice.

Also, there is a difference between what you can claim without committing tax fraud & what you can substantiate if you fall into the 0.75% of taxpayers who get audited. Fraud means you pay tax + fines + penalties. Poor record-keeping means you pay tax. Big deal. You'd have paid the tax anyway if you hadn't claimed the donations, right?