Donations of certain household items and clothing are often tax deductible when you file your income tax return. The items are also tax deductible.If you want your deductible charitable contributions you must itemize your donation deduction on Form 1040, Schedule A: Itemized Deductions. Step 1: Complete the taxpayer information section. As mentioned above, to claim a charitable donation, you need to itemize your deductions using Form 1040, Schedule A as part of your tax preparation. To reap tax benefits for making charitable donations, you must itemize your deductions rather than taking the Standard Deduction. Here are some handy IRS tips for deducting charitable donations. When you bring items to one of our donation locations, you may fill out a paper donation form.