Virginia records deeds with the circuit court clerk rather than a county recorder, and it is the one state with a long list of independent cities that sit inside no county at all. That changes where a deed goes. Beyond the filing, the property runs from Northern Virginia houses with high basis questions to coalfield land where the minerals left the surface a century ago.
Federal tax rules are the same in every state. These three are set by Virginia and by the county where the property sits.
Virginia charges a state recordation tax plus a grantor tax, with local recordation taxes added. Who pays and how it applies to a gift with no consideration is confirmed when we prepare the deed. Where the tax falls on the grantee, it is ours.
Virginia has independent cities that are not part of any county, so the correct filing office depends on the city or county line rather than on the mailing address. Deeds are recorded with the circuit court clerk. We confirm the jurisdiction before drafting, because a deed filed in the wrong office is a delay nobody needs.
Deeds are recorded with the circuit court clerk for the county where the property sits. You sign before a notary wherever you live, and we handle the filing.
Four situations that recur across the commonwealth.
Each links to the full guide for that type, including how a donation compares with selling.
Six Virginias, from the Chesapeake to the Cumberland Gap.
High values and low basis, so the gain on a sale is the thing most families are weighing. Estates and inherited houses dominate.
Older city housing, infill lots and small commercial buildings in the surrounding counties.
Flood exposure and elevation questions near the water, plus military-adjacent rental housing held by owners who moved on.
Working farm ground under use-value assessment, with poultry and cattle operations and orchard land.
Tobacco ground out of production, mill town housing and buildings with more square footage than the town can use.
Steep land, severed coal and gas rights, and small-town property with real carrying costs.
Virginia charges a state recordation tax plus a grantor tax, with local recordation taxes added. Who pays and how it applies to a gift with no consideration is confirmed when we prepare the deed. Where the tax falls on the grantee, it is ours.
No. We prepare the deed in the form Virginia requires for the county where the property sits, you sign before a notary where you live, and we record it with the circuit court clerk.
Only where the deed is filed, which is exactly the kind of detail that stalls a transfer when it is missed. Virginia independent cities have their own circuit court clerk. We confirm the jurisdiction at the start.
Virginia has a state income tax, and how it treats a charitable contribution is set by Virginia law rather than by us. Your federal deduction follows the usual IRS rules. Take the state question to your own advisor.
Yes, and it is normal in the southwest counties. Surface-only ownership is ordinary fee ownership with a known limitation. The appraisal reflects what you hold, and the mineral owner’s rights are disclosed in the review.
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.
The county and a parcel number are enough to start.
