Can You Donate Furniture to Goodwill? What They Accept [2026]

Goodwill acceptance policies vary by location, but most stores accept these furniture items when in good, sellable condition:

• •Tables (dining, coffee, end tables, desks)
• •Chairs (dining chairs, office chairs, accent chairs)
• •Dressers and chests of drawers
• •Bookshelves and shelving units
• •TV stands and small entertainment centers
• •Nightstands
• •Small couches and loveseats (some locations)
• •Patio furniture in good condition

The key word is sellable. Goodwill runs retail stores. If they cannot sell the item within a few weeks, they lose money on storage and handling. Furniture must be clean, structurally sound, and something a customer would actually buy.

Most Goodwill locations refuse these items:

• •Mattresses and box springs (health regulations in most states prohibit resale of used mattresses)
• •Sleeper sofas and hide-a-beds (too heavy for staff to handle, hard to resell)
• •Large sectional sofas (storage and transportation issues)
• •Upholstered furniture with stains, rips, pet hair, or odors
• •Particle board furniture that is warped, swollen, or delaminating
• •Furniture with bed bug history or visible pest damage
• •Built-in or wall-mounted units
• •Broken or incomplete furniture sets

If you show up with an item they cannot accept, they will turn you away. Call your local Goodwill before loading your car to confirm they will take your specific item.

Most Goodwill locations are drop-off only for furniture. A few regional Goodwill organizations offer pickup service, but it is not standard across the brand.

If you need free furniture pickup, these organizations are better options:

• •Salvation Army: Offers free pickup for furniture donations in most metro areas. Schedule at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK
• •Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Free pickup for large items in many cities. Schedule at restore.habitat.org
• •Vietnam Veterans of America: Free pickup, schedule at pickupplease.org. They accept furniture, clothing, and household goods
• •The Arc: Free pickup for furniture and household items in participating areas. Schedule at arc.org

All of these provide tax-deductible donation receipts, same as Goodwill.

Donated furniture qualifies for a federal tax deduction if you itemize deductions and donate to a 501(c)(3) organization (Goodwill, Salvation Army, Habitat, etc.).

The deduction is based on fair market value, which the IRS defines as what a willing buyer would pay in the item's current condition. Goodwill provides a printed receipt at drop-off. For items valued over $250, you need a written acknowledgment from the organization.

Estimated fair market values for common furniture items:

• •Sofa or couch: $50-200
• •Dining table: $50-150
• •Dresser: $30-100
• •Desk: $25-100
• •Bookshelf: $15-50
• •Chairs (each): $10-50

Keep the receipt and a photo of each item for your tax records. For donations totaling over $500, you must file IRS Form 8283.

If your furniture is stained, ripped, broken, or otherwise not in donatable condition, you still have options.

• •Facebook Marketplace (free listing): List damaged furniture as "free, you haul" and it often gets claimed within hours. People refinish, reupholster, or use the materials
• •City bulk pickup: Free in most major cities, schedule through your city website or 311. Wait time is 2-8 weeks
• •Dropcurb curbside pickup: $79 same-day. Move the furniture to the curb, book online, a hauler picks it up within hours. Any condition accepted
• •Curb alert on Craigslist: Post a "curb alert" with a photo and address. Scrappers and flippers often grab furniture within hours

Avoid leaving furniture at the curb without a scheduled pickup or curb alert. Many cities fine homeowners $50-500 for illegal dumping, even on their own property frontage.