For certain gifts to charity over $5,000 you must have proof of the value of the gift to claim the gift as an income tax charitable deduction. The IRS terms this a "qualified independent appraisal," and it must follow strict requirements to be a valid proof.

Treasury Regulations state that a qualified appraisal means an appraisal document that, among other things: (1) relates to an appraisal that is made not earlier than 60 days prior to the date of contribution of the appraised property and not later than the due date (including extensions) of the return on which a deduction is first claimed under section 170; (2) is prepared, signed, and dated by a qualified appraiser; (3) includes (a) a description of the property appraised; (b) the fair market value of such property on the date of contribution and the specific basis for the valuation; (c) a statement that such appraisal was prepared for income tax purposes; (d) the qualifications of the qualified appraiser; and (e) the signature and taxpayer identification number of such appraiser; and (4) does not involve an appraisal fee that violates certain prescribed rules.

It is the donor's responsibility to acquire the appraisal and to prepare and submit IRS Form 8283. IRS Publication 561, "Determining the Value of Donated Property," describes what types of gifts must be appraised, what constitutes a qualified appraisal, who is a qualified appraiser, and how appraisals are evaluated by the IRS.

You should read Publication 561 in its entirety to understand the requirements for documenting gifts to charity over $5,000. You can get this and many other publications at the IRS Web site.