For 2006, what types of charitable clothing and household item donations can I deduct?

You can deduct any clothing or household items which you have donated to charity, and you are entitled to deduct the fair market value (which is important to remember, as that is often much less than what you originally paid). However, Congress has enacted an important change for the 2006 tax year – for any clothing or household items donated after September 1, 2006, you can only claim a deduction if the clothing or items were in good used condition or better. The idea behind this is that you are not allowed to claim a deduction for donated clothing or household items that have little or no value (e.g., tattered clothes).