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Donating Crypto: Form 8283 Thresholds and Appraisals

General information, not tax, legal or financial advice. We are not the IRS. Check IRS.gov or a qualified tax professional. Sources read on October 17, 2026. Dates for 2027 and later are expected. Examples use made-up numbers. This page contains no affiliate links.

Short answer: The Instructions for Form 8283 (Rev. December 2025) say you must file Form 8283 if the deduction for any single noncash contribution is more than $500, or if a group of similar items has a total deduction of more than $500. Items or groups of similar items at $5,000 or less go in Section A; more than $5,000 go in Section B. For digital assets, the IRS FAQ on digital asset transactions (FAQ 78, added December 15, 2025) says that if the deduction claimed would be more than $5,000, a qualified appraisal is required to qualify for the deduction, and if it would be more than $500,000 you must attach a copy of the qualified appraisal to your return. The Form 8283 instructions exempt only publicly traded securities from Section B; they list digital assets as a separate category.

Thresholds

Claimed deduction (per contribution, or per group of similar items) What to file
$500 or less per contribution (or per group of similar items) Form 8283 not required for that contribution
Over $500 up to $5,000 Form 8283, Section A
Over $5,000 Form 8283, Section B, with a qualified appraisal; separate form for each donee
Over $500,000 Section B and a copy of the qualified appraisal attached to the return (IRS FAQ 78)
The instructions say publicly traded securities go in Section A in any amount; they do not give digital assets the same treatment.

IRS FAQ for donations from 2025

For donations after December 31, 2024, the IRS publishes the rules in Part II of its digital asset FAQs (FAQ 78-79): if held more than one year, the deduction is generally fair market value; if one year or less, the lesser of basis or fair market value; neither includes amounts you pay to effect the transfer. A charity can give you the written acknowledgment needed for gifts of $250 or more (FAQ 79), and it signs your Form 8283 if the deduction is over $5,000, though its signature does not confirm the appraised value. Donating to a section 170(c) charity does not cause you to recognize income, gain or loss (Part I FAQ 34, before 2025).

Where crypto fits on the form

On Section B, line 2, the instructions list "Digital assets" as a property type, defined as any digital representation of value recorded on a cryptographically secured distributed ledger, including cryptocurrency, stablecoins and NFTs.

Made-up illustration

You donate coins held two years, worth $3,000, with $1,000 basis: deduction generally $3,000 (fair market value), Section A. If worth $8,000, the deduction is above $5,000, so Section B and a qualified appraisal are required, including for crypto traded on an exchange (IRS FAQ 78).

Related

Crypto gifts and donations: basis · Digital asset question on Form 1040 · Year-end checklist

FAQ

Does my broker's 1099-DA report a donation? Not covered by the pages read.

Is the $5,000 rule per gift? Per item or group of similar items, with a separate Form 8283 for each donee.

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Not tax advice. Examples use made-up figures. Nothing here has been reviewed by a tax professional. We may earn commissions from affiliate links where marked; see the disclosure.