Transfer tax
South Dakota charges a transfer fee of $0.50 per $500 of value. 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, farm parcel or range ground in South Dakota, in any of the 66 counties
South Dakota property specialists: (888) 228-7320
Donate Real Estate in South Dakota
South Dakota has no personal income tax, a low transfer fee and a property market that divides hard at the Missouri River: cropland and small cities to the east, range, reservation land and the Black Hills to the west. A certificate of value accompanies most transfers.
Fully IRS Compliant
We Handle the Paperwork
Form 8283 Done Right
501(c)(3) Recognized Charity
South Dakota rules for a property donation
Federal tax rules are the same in every state. These three are set by South Dakota and by the county where the property sits.
The certificate of value
South Dakota transfers are ordinarily accompanied by a certificate of value filed with the register of deeds for the director of equalization, with exempt transfers stating the exemption. It is short and it is required. We prepare it with the deed.
Recording
Deeds are recorded with the register of deeds for the county where the property sits. You sign before a notary wherever you live, and we handle the filing.
What South Dakota owners call us about
Four situations that recur across the state.
Cropland owned by heirs who left
Eastern South Dakota row crop ground cash rented for a generation, owned in undivided shares by relatives in other states.
Range ground in very large blocks
West river cattle country where the realistic buyer is the neighboring ranch and a listing can sit for years.
A house in a town with no market
Sound older housing in counties losing population, where a sale at any price is slow.
A Black Hills lot with access questions
Recreational parcels sold decades ago, some with seasonal access and no utilities at the lot line.
South Dakota property we accept
Each links to the full guide for that type, including how a donation compares with selling.
Houses in South DakotaBungalows, farmhouses, post-war ranches and hills cabins.
South Dakota landBlack Hills parcels, river ground, hunting land and town lots.
Farm and ranch groundCorn and soybean east river, cattle range west river.
Commercial propertyMain street blocks, storefronts and small offices.
Industrial buildingsGrain, warehouse and processing space.
Contracts for deedCommon here. We take over the payments and deliver the deed at payoff.
What a donation looks like by region
The river divides the state and the property markets with it.
Sioux Falls and the southeast
The strongest market in the state, with inherited houses and farm ground on the growth edge.
The eastern farm counties
Productive cropland, cash rented and owned largely by non-farming heirs.
The James valley and central
Smaller towns, mixed crop and cattle ground and thin housing markets.
West river
Very large range blocks where the neighboring ranch is the only realistic buyer.
The Black Hills
Recreational lots, cabins and tourism-dependent commercial property.
Reservation counties
Land where trust status and jurisdiction have to be established before anything else.
South Dakota real estate donation questions, answered
Is a donated deed subject to South Dakota transfer tax?+
South Dakota charges a transfer fee of $0.50 per $500 of value. 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 South Dakota. Do I have to travel there to sign?+
No. We prepare the deed in the form South Dakota requires for the county where the property sits, you sign before a notary where you live, and we record it with the county register of deeds.
Our land is inside a reservation boundary. Does that matter?+
It can matter a great deal, and it is the first thing to establish. Trust and restricted land requires federal approval to transfer, while fee land inside a boundary usually does not. We find out rather than assume.
Does South Dakota give a state tax deduction for a property donation?+
South Dakota does not levy a broad personal income tax on wages, so there is generally no state income tax deduction to claim. Your federal charitable deduction follows the usual IRS rules.
Nobody local wants the house. Is it still worth donating?+
Frequently, because we are not trying to match a local buyer on a local timetable. Tell us the county and the address and we will be straight about what it is likely to bring.
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 South Dakota property and we will review it
The county and a parcel number are enough to start.