Get Money (or a Tax Deduction) for Your Used Tech

Your old phones and laptops may be worth more than you think.

Declutter your home and you're likely to find an old phone in a desk drawer or a 15-year-old desktop in a box in your basement. Instead of building up piles of used electronics, and infuriating your partner or roommates, sell them — they may be worth more than you think. If you can’t sell them, donate them. The charities below accept even nonworking devices, and you may be able to take a tax deduction.

But before you get rid of your technotrash, there are a couple of things to take care of. Back up your devices on an external hard drive or on a cloud storage system so that you won’t lose photos, music, or your important documents. Next, delete all programs and information you don’t want others to see. While charities often wipe your devices, it is better to be safe than sorry.

CASH IN

Apple MacBook

Where: Gazelle.com

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Type: All generations

Condition: Working or broken

Value: $150 to $800

Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S series

Where: eBay.com

Type: Generation 6 or later

Condition: Working (damages okay)

Value: $100 to $200

Kindle e-readers, tablets, Bluetooth speakers

Where: Amazon Trade-In

Type: All generations

Condition: Working (damages okay)

Value: Gift card equal to appraised value plus 25% off purchase of similar item

iPods, MP3 players

Where: ecoATM kiosk (at Walmart and other retailers)

Type: All generations

Condition: Working (damages okay)

Value: $5 to $20

Old laptops, desktops

Where: Computers With Causes (www.computerswithcauses.org)

Who you’ll help: Schools in low-income communities

How to donate: Request shipping reimbursement on donation form

Keyboards, scanners, printers

Where: Dell Reconnect (partners with Goodwill)

Who you’ll help: People who have disabilities or are unemployed

How to donate: Drop off at Goodwill locations

Cell phones and older smartphones

Where: Medic Mobile (www.medicmobile.org/phone-donations)

Who you’ll help: Donated phones are recycled to fund health care programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America

How to donate: Print free shipping label online

Ilya Kneppelhout
Intern, Kiplinger's Personal Finance