A qualified appraisal your deduction can stand on.

In Short

What this appraisal is for

The IRS requires a qualified appraisal to substantiate a noncash charitable contribution above its reporting threshold, and it is specific about who may prepare one and what it must contain. We produce appraisals prepared to that standard, so your deduction rests on documentation that holds up.

When You Need One

Who this is for

The IRS is specific about donated property. Above a certain value it requires a qualified appraisal, prepared by a qualified appraiser, within a defined window around the donation. These are the situations that bring clients here.

• An item, or a group of similar items, is being donated and its value passes the threshold at which the IRS requires an appraisal.
• Artwork, antiques, or collectibles are going to a museum, a university, or a charitable foundation.
• The contents of a household are being donated after a move or the settlement of an estate.
• An accountant has asked for the appraisal that supports Form 8283 before the return goes out.

The Report

What the report is used for

A qualified appraisal is a defined thing, not a description. The IRS sets what the report must contain, who may sign it, and when it must be prepared relative to the donation and the return. A report that misses any of those can cost the deduction even when the value in it is correct.

We prepare the report to that standard and to USPAP, at fair market value. Where the donation calls for it, the appraiser signs the appraiser's declaration on Form 8283: your accountant files the form, and we supply and sign the appraisal behind it.

• A description of the donated property, detailed enough to identify it
• The fair market value on the date of contribution, and the method used to reach it
• The date of the contribution and the effective date of the appraisal
• The terms of any agreement about the use or the sale of the property
• The appraiser's qualifications, certification, and signature

How It Works

Four steps, start to signed report

Most assignments are prepared remotely, from photographs and documents. Where an item genuinely has to be seen in person, we say so before you pay rather than issue an opinion we cannot stand behind.

1. You send photographs and an inventory of the items, with any provenance, receipts, or certificates you have
2. We reply with a fixed quote, before any work starts
3. We research comparable sales and market data for each item or asset
4. You receive a signed, USPAP-compliant report you can file

Your Part

What we need from you

• The date of the contribution, and your filing deadline
• The receipt or the acknowledgement letter from the charity
• Anything the charity has stated about how it will use or dispose of the property
• Photographs of each item, with close photographs of every mark and signature
• For a donated vehicle: the VIN, the mileage, the title, and any Form 1098-C the charity has issued

Send the donation paperwork with your photographs — the receipt or the letter from the charity, the date of the contribution, and anything the organisation has stated about how it will use the property. Those details belong in a qualified appraisal, so having them at the start saves a round trip. Tell us your filing deadline at the consultation, because the IRS ties the timing of the appraisal to the return.

Price

What this costs

Donated household items and artwork are quoted on the per-item schedule, with a $150 minimum. A donated vehicle, vessel, or machine is quoted on the asset schedule, and IRS use carries the higher floor: from $350 for a vehicle or vessel, from $450 for equipment.

You get a fixed quote before any work starts, and the fee follows the research the assignment takes, not the value we find. If photographs cannot support the value, we say so before you pay — and if the fee would exceed what the property is likely worth, we say that too.

See the full pricing →