Transfer tax
Utah has no statewide real estate transfer tax on deeds. Recording fees are set locally by the county recorder.
Donate a house, canyon lot or farm parcel in Utah, in any of the 29 counties
Utah property specialists: (888) 228-7320
Donate Real Estate in Utah
Utah charges no real estate transfer tax, and the questions that decide a donation here are physical: whether the parcel has water shares attached, whether it sits in a geologic hazard or wildfire interface area, and whether a rural lot was ever legally entitled to a building permit. All 29 counties.
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Utah rules for a property donation
Federal tax rules are the same in every state. These three are set by Utah and by the county where the property sits.
Water shares travel separately
Much Utah irrigation water is held as shares in a mutual water company, and the shares do not automatically pass with the land unless they are specifically conveyed. Land with shares and land without are different assets. We check the share certificates before drafting so nothing is left behind by accident.
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 Utah owners call us about
Four situations that recur across the state.
Irrigation shares on ground nobody farms
Mutual company shares attached to former pasture now surrounded by subdivision, with annual assessments still being billed.
Farmland under greenbelt assessment
Agricultural use assessment lowers the bill and carries a rollback when the use changes. It is a figure in the review, not an obstacle.
A canyon or bench lot that will not permit
Slope, fault setback, debris flow and access requirements can put a building off the table on a lot that was sold as a homesite.
A family house along the Wasatch Front
Property bought decades ago in a market that has moved a long way since, inherited by children who live elsewhere.
Utah property we accept
Each links to the full guide for that type, including how a donation compares with selling.
Houses in UtahBrick bungalows, post-war ranches, canyon cabins and newer subdivision homes.
Utah landCanyon and bench lots, desert acreage and town lots.
Farm and ranch groundIrrigated hay and pasture, orchards and high desert range.
Commercial propertyMain street buildings, storefronts and small offices.
Industrial buildingsWarehouse and light manufacturing along the Wasatch corridor.
Land contractsProperty sold on terms years ago. We take over the payments and deliver the deed at payoff.
What a donation looks like by region
Six Utahs, and water shows up in most of them.
Salt Lake County
Inherited houses with substantial appreciation, infill lots and small commercial on older corridors.
Utah County and the south valley
Former farm ground now surrounded by development, often still carrying water shares.
Northern Utah
Cache valley farm ground, small-city housing and canyon property.
The Wasatch Back
Resort-area property, deed restrictions and lots with steep slope and access constraints.
Southern Utah
Red rock country lots, retirement housing and parcels adjoining federal land where access must be verified.
The eastern counties
Energy corridor towns, range ground and land with severed minerals beneath.
Utah real estate donation questions, answered
Is a donated deed subject to Utah transfer tax?+
Utah has no statewide real estate transfer tax on deeds. Recording fees are set locally by the county recorder.
I live outside Utah. Do I have to travel there to sign?+
No. We prepare the deed in the form Utah requires for the county where the property sits, you sign before a notary where you live, and we record it with the county recorder.
Do my water shares go with the land?+
Not automatically. Shares in a mutual water company are held separately and have to be conveyed deliberately. That makes them easy to leave behind by accident, so we ask for the certificates at the start. They can also be donated on their own.
Does Utah give a state tax deduction for a property donation?+
Utah has a state income tax, and how it treats a charitable contribution is set by Utah law rather than by us. Your federal deduction follows the usual IRS rules. Take the state question to your own advisor.
My lot is on a hillside and the county will not permit a house. Is it worth donating?+
Frequently, and usually to an adjoining owner rather than the open market. Slope, fault setback and access rules take building off the table without taking value to zero. Send the county and the parcel number.
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 Utah property and we will review it
The county and a parcel number are enough to start.