Transfer tax
Minnesota charges a state deed tax based on consideration. It is customarily charged to the grantor, and how it applies to a gift with no consideration is confirmed when we prepare the deed.
Donate a house, lake lot or farm parcel in Minnesota, in any of the 87 counties
Minnesota property specialists: (888) 228-7320
Donate Real Estate in Minnesota
Minnesota keeps two land systems side by side. Most property is abstract land recorded in the ordinary way, but a large share in the metro counties is Torrens registered land held under a certificate of title, and those transfers go to the registrar rather than the recorder. Add lake property owned by scattered families and farm ground under deferment, and you have most of what reaches us here.
Fully IRS Compliant
We Handle the Paperwork
Form 8283 Done Right
501(c)(3) Recognized Charity
Minnesota rules for a property donation
Federal tax rules are the same in every state. These three are set by Minnesota and by the county where the property sits.
Abstract land, Torrens land and the CRV
Which system your property sits in decides where the deed goes and what the office will require. Most transfers are also accompanied by a certificate of real estate value filed electronically for the assessor. We identify the system and prepare the filing before the deed is drafted.
Recording
Deeds are recorded with the county recorder for the county where the property sits. You sign before a notary wherever you live, and we handle the filing.
What Minnesota owners call us about
Four situations that recur across the state.
A lake cabin owned by a scattered family
Property bought in the 1960s, now held by cousins in several states, with taxes, insurance, a dock and a septic system to keep up.
Farm ground under Green Acres deferment
Deferred assessment lowers the bill and carries repayment when the deferment ends. It is a figure in the review rather than an obstacle.
A house with a failing septic system
Point-of-transfer compliance is standard in much of the state. A failing system is a real number and it does not stop a donation.
A parcel that is mostly wetland
Minnesota regulates wetland impact closely, and land that cannot be filled still has value to a neighbor or a conservation buyer.
Minnesota property we accept
Each links to the full guide for that type, including how a donation compares with selling.
Houses in MinnesotaBungalows, ramblers, farmhouses and lake cabins.
Minnesota landLake frontage, wooded acreage, hunting land and city lots.
Farm groundCorn and soybean ground in the south, sugar beet and small grain in the northwest.
Commercial propertyMain street buildings, storefronts and small offices.
Industrial buildingsWarehouse and processing space in the river and rail cities.
Land contractsCommon in Minnesota. We take over the payments and deliver the deed at payoff.
What a donation looks like by region
Six Minnesotas, and the cabin question turns up in most of them.
The Twin Cities
Inherited houses, small rental buildings and a high concentration of Torrens registered land.
Lake country and the north central counties
Cabins and shoreline lots held by extended families who no longer agree on what to do with them.
Duluth and the North Shore
Steep lots, older city housing and remote acreage with winter access questions.
The Iron Range
Small-town housing where repairs outrun value, and land with severed mineral interests beneath it.
Southern Minnesota
Row crop ground held by heirs who farm elsewhere, and farmsteads standing empty.
The Red River valley and northwest
Sugar beet and small grain ground, flat and productive, often cash rented to a neighbor.
Minnesota real estate donation questions, answered
Is a donated deed subject to Minnesota transfer tax?+
Minnesota charges a state deed tax based on consideration. It is customarily charged to the grantor, and how it applies to a gift with no consideration is confirmed when we prepare the deed.
I live outside Minnesota. Do I have to travel there to sign?+
No. We prepare the deed in the form Minnesota requires for the county where the property sits, you sign before a notary where you live, and we record it with the county recorder or registrar of titles.
My property is Torrens registered. Is that a problem?+
No, it is a different counter. Registered land is transferred through the registrar of titles with a certificate rather than recorded in the ordinary way. Tell us the certificate number if you have it and we will handle the rest.
Does Minnesota give a state tax deduction for a property donation?+
Minnesota has a state income tax, and how it treats a charitable contribution is set by Minnesota law rather than by us. Your federal deduction follows the usual IRS rules. Take the state question to your own advisor.
The cabin is in five names and two of them will not answer. What can be done?+
More than you would think. An individual undivided share can sometimes be given on its own, and sometimes the practical route is different. Tell us how the title reads and we will tell you the options rather than leaving you to guess.
We do not provide tax or legal advice. State and local transfer tax rules change; we confirm current requirements when we prepare each deed. Consult your own advisor.
Tell us about your Minnesota property and we will review it
The county and a parcel number are enough to start.