Yes, the Salvation Army gives donation receipts, but it never puts a dollar value on them. Its own value guide says it does not set a valuation on your donation, so the fair market value is yours to assign and document. What you need from the Salvation Army depends on the size of the gift, and the right tax ID (EIN) depends on which Salvation Army organization received it, because there is no single national one.
Quick answers
- Receipt: yes, delivered differently for drop-offs, pickups and money gifts. See how to get your receipt and what a valid receipt must include.
- Tax ID (EIN): there is no single Salvation Army EIN. See the reference table and the lookup order. Most donors never need one: Form 8283 Section A asks only for a name and address.
- Address: use the organization name on your receipt with the receipt’s address or the drop-off center’s street address. See which address to use.
How to Get Your Salvation Army Receipt
How you receive the receipt depends on how you gave. These are the Salvation Army’s own statements on its Contact Us page, read October 26, 2026.
| How you gave | When the receipt reaches you | If it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| Drop-off at a manned donation location | Handed out when you drop off your donation, so ask for it before you leave | Donor Services, 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825) |
| Pickup scheduled online or at 1-800-SAL-ARMY | Emailed after a successful pickup | Donor Services, 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825) |
| Money gift online or by phone | Emailed within minutes; keep the email for tax purposes | Online inquiry form or 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769) |
| Money gift by mail | Typically within 3 weeks | Online inquiry form or 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769) |
A pickup booking confirmation is not a receipt, and it is not a written acknowledgment of your donation. The drop-off steps on satruck.org include “Receive a donation receipt for your taxes,” and the Salvation Army’s donation value guide adds: “The Salvation Army does not set a valuation on your donation” and “It’s up to you to assign a value to your item.” This guide covers goods; money gifts have their own recordkeeping rules in Publication 526. For how the 2026 changes affect what you can deduct, see our 2026 charitable deduction changes guide.
What a Valid Salvation Army Receipt Must Include
The documentation the IRS expects scales with the size of the donation:
- Under $250 — keep the Salvation Army receipt. Under IRS Publication 526 it should show the Salvation Army’s name and address, the date and location of the donation, and a reasonably detailed description of what you gave. Also keep your own record of each item’s condition, the fair market value you assigned it, and how you arrived at that figure. If it is impractical to get a receipt, for example because you left property at an unattended drop site, Publication 526 lets you satisfy the requirement with reliable written records of each item: its condition (for clothing and household items), its fair market value and how you figured it. That exception is for gifts under $250; it does not replace the acknowledgment below. Our charitable donation receipt requirements guide has the complete recordkeeping list.
- $250 or more for a single contribution (measured by the deduction you claim for it) — IRS Publication 526 requires a contemporaneous written acknowledgment from the charity. “Contemporaneous” has a specific deadline: you must have it by the earlier of the date you file your return or the return’s due date including extensions, so filing late does not buy you extra time to collect it. It must name the organization, describe the donated property (the charity does not assign it a value), and say whether you received any goods or services in exchange, describing them and giving a good-faith estimate of their value if so, since that amount reduces your deduction. If it does not show the date, keep a receipt or your own dated record that does.
- Over $500 in total non-cash donations for the year — attach Form 8283 to your return.
- Any single clothing or household item not in good used condition or better, claimed above $500 — normally such an item is not deductible at all, but you can still claim it if you substantiate the value with a qualified appraisal and Form 8283 Section B, both attached to your return, even though the item is far below the $5,000 line. Because Section B is involved, the charity must also complete and sign the Donee Acknowledgment in Part V, which carries its EIN.
- Over $5,000 claimed for a single item or group of similar items (other than a vehicle deducted at its gross sale proceeds, which stays in Section A) — Form 8283 Section B, plus a qualified written appraisal and the charity’s signed Donee Acknowledgment.
Note what a Salvation Army receipt does not do: it never assigns dollar values. Under IRS Publication 561, assigning a defensible fair market value, the price a willing buyer would pay a willing seller for the item in its current used condition, is the donor’s responsibility, not the charity’s. Our Salvation Army donation value guide has the category ranges and the donation value calculator prices individual items.
The Salvation Army’s Tax ID (EIN) — and When You Actually Need It
There is no single Salvation Army tax ID number. According to the Salvation Army’s own Eastern Territory tax information page, the Salvation Army “is a nonprofit corporation, organized into four territories in the United States,” and each territory “is separately incorporated and has a distinct Federal Identification Number” that covers all Salvation Army locations within that territory’s jurisdiction. Some divisions are separately incorporated with their own EIN as well. The correct EIN is the one belonging to the organization that received your gift.
For most donors, you do not need it at all. On Form 8283, Section A, the section covering an item or group of similar items valued at $5,000 or less, identifies the charity only by the “Name and address of the donee organization.” There is no EIN column. The charity’s EIN appears on Form 8283 only in Section B, Part V (Donee Acknowledgment), which the charity completes and signs, not you. Section B applies to any single item or group of similar items claimed at over $5,000 (a donated vehicle deducted at its gross sale proceeds goes in Section A instead), and also, at any amount, to a single clothing or household item not in good used condition claimed above $500 (see the checklist above). In that second case you will need the charity to complete the acknowledgment, EIN included.
How to Find the EIN for Your Gift
Work in this order, because the organization that received your gift is the one whose EIN counts:
- The receipt or acknowledgment you were given. If it prints an EIN, that is the one to use. For a pickup or an online gift, the emailed receipt is the document to read; use the organization it names.
- Confirm the organization that actually received your gift. That is the store or donation center that took your goods, or the organization named on the emailed receipt. Many local pages on salvationarmyusa.org show the territory in the web address (for example
/usa-western-territory/or/usa-southern-territory/), but not all do, and the receipt always wins over a web address. - Only then, use a directory. Search the organization’s name, exactly as it appears on your receipt, in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. A territorial corporation is registered in its headquarters city, not necessarily in your state, so do not filter by your own state.
Salvation Army Tax ID Lookup: Reference EINs
These are reference examples, not a tool that assigns an EIN by where you live. Each EIN below was checked in both the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer on October 26, 2026. Three of the four territories share the registered name “The Salvation Army,” so the territory label is what tells the rows apart.
| Territory | Registered name as the IRS lists it | IRS city | EIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Territory | The Salvation Army | West Nyack, NY | 13-5562351 |
| Central Territory | The Salvation Army | Hoffman Estates, IL | 36-2167910 |
| Southern Territory | The Salvation Army | Brookhaven, GA | 58-0660607 |
| Western Territory | Salvation Army Western Territorial Headquarters | Rancho Palos Verdes, CA | 94-1156347 |
Some divisions are separately incorporated and have their own EINs, for example the organizations the IRS lists as Salvation Army in Roseville, MN (41-0698597), Southfield, MI (38-1370971) and Oklahoma City, OK (73-0579266). If your receipt names one of these or any other organization, use the EIN of that organization.
Not a substitute for the organization that received your gift: don’t use the national office, Salvation Army National Corp in Alexandria, Virginia (22-2406433), in place of the organization that took your goods. It turns up in many search results, but it is not the corporation on your receipt.
Which Salvation Army Address Should You Use for Taxes?
Use the name of the Salvation Army organization on your receipt together with either the address on the receipt or the street address of the donation center you used. Form 8283 Section A asks for the “name and address of the donee organization.” The donee is the Salvation Army organization that took your items. Either address identifies it, and the drop-off address has the advantage of matching your receipt. The address not to use is the national office in Alexandria, Virginia.
You enter it on your return only with Form 8283. Schedule A asks for totals, not charity names or addresses. The name and address go on Form 8283, which you attach when your non-cash deduction total for the year is over $500. If your tax software asks for the charity’s address anyway, use the same one. Either way, keep the organization’s name and address with your records for every donation.
How to Get and Use a Salvation Army Receipt (Step by Step)
- Get the receipt when you donate. Ask for the receipt at a manned drop-off, watch for the emailed receipt after a scheduled pickup, or keep the email receipt for a money gift. A pickup booking confirmation is not a receipt.
- Confirm which Salvation Army organization received your gift. Read the organization name on the receipt or email. Three of the four territories share the registered name “The Salvation Army,” so the territory matters; the receipt always wins.
- Check the receipt against the dollar thresholds. Under $250, the receipt plus your own itemized list. At $250 or more for a single contribution, a written acknowledgment in hand by the earlier of your filing date or the return’s due date including extensions.
- Look up the EIN only if you need it. Use the receipt first, then confirm the organization, then the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Most donors never need the EIN.
- Record your values and file Form 8283 if your non-cash total tops $500. Write down each item’s condition and the fair market value you assigned. Form 8283 Section A needs only the charity’s name and address; the EIN appears only in Section B, Part V, which the charity completes and signs.
Keep the Record in One Place
A receipt confirms that you donated; it does not remember what was in the bag. DeductAble keeps the record as you pack. Photograph each item: AI identifies each item and matches it to a fair market value from our catalog that you review and approve. At tax time, export your donation records as a PDF or CSV report: https://deductable.ai
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Salvation Army put dollar values on its receipts?
No. The Salvation Army does not set a valuation on your donation, and its own value guide says it is up to you to assign a value to your item. The receipt proves that you gave; the fair market value of what you gave is yours to determine and document. Under IRS Publication 561, that is the price a willing buyer would pay a willing seller for the item in its current used condition, not its original retail price.
What is the Salvation Army’s tax ID number?
There is no single Salvation Army tax ID. The Salvation Army is organized into four territories in the United States, and each territory is separately incorporated with its own federal identification number. Some divisions are separately incorporated too. The correct EIN is the one belonging to the organization that actually received your gift, and the one printed on your receipt or acknowledgment is the one to keep. The table in this guide lists the four territorial headquarters as reference examples, checked against the IRS and ProPublica on October 26, 2026.
Do I need the Salvation Army’s EIN to claim my donation?
For most donors, no. Form 8283 Section A, which covers items or groups of similar items valued at $5,000 or less, identifies the charity only by the name and address of the donee organization. There is no EIN column. The charity’s EIN appears on Form 8283 only in Section B, Part V (Donee Acknowledgment), which the charity completes and signs, not you. Section B applies to any single item or group of similar items claimed at over $5,000 (a donated vehicle deducted at its gross sale proceeds goes in Section A instead), and also, at any amount, to a single clothing or household item that is not in good used condition and is claimed above $500.
How do I get a receipt for a Salvation Army pickup?
For pickups scheduled online or by phone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY, the Salvation Army says a receipt is sent by email after a successful pickup. Your booking confirmation is not a receipt, and it is not a written acknowledgment of your donation. If the emailed receipt does not arrive, contact Donor Services at 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825).
I lost my Salvation Army receipt. What can I do?
For items you dropped off or had picked up, call Donor Services at 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825) and ask about the missing in-kind receipt. For a money gift, use the online inquiry form or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769). If a receipt cannot be replaced, keep your own dated record of what you gave. For a single contribution of $250 or more, the written acknowledgment is a requirement that your own records cannot replace, so pursue the replacement before you file.
What does a valid Salvation Army donation receipt need to include?
For any single contribution of $250 or more, IRS Publication 526 requires a contemporaneous written acknowledgment from the charity. You must have it by the earlier of the date you file your return or the due date of that return, including extensions. It must name the organization, describe the donated property (the charity does not state its value), and say whether you received any goods or services in exchange. If you did, it must also describe them and give a good-faith estimate of their value, which reduces your deduction. The date is not itself a required element. If the acknowledgment does not show it, keep a receipt or your own dated record that does. For contributions under $250, keep the receipt showing the Salvation Army’s name and address, the date and location, and a description of the items, plus your own itemized list of what you gave and what it was worth.
What address do I put for the Salvation Army on my taxes?
The name of the Salvation Army organization on your receipt plus either the address on the receipt or the street address of the donation center you used. Form 8283 Section A asks for the name and address of the donee organization, which is the one that received your items. Do not substitute the national office in Alexandria, Virginia for the organization that took your donation. You enter the name and address on your return only if you file Form 8283, which you attach when your non-cash deduction total for the year is over $500.
