Transfer tax
Indiana has no statewide real estate transfer tax on deeds. Recording fees are set locally by the county recorder.
Donate a house, farm or lot in Indiana, in any of the 92 counties
Indiana property specialists: (888) 228-7320
Donate Real Estate in Indiana
Indiana has no state real estate transfer tax, and the friction in a transfer here is administrative rather than financial: a sales disclosure form goes to the county assessor and auditor, and the auditor endorses the deed before the recorder will take it. Beyond that, the state is farm ground, factory towns and a steady supply of tax-sale parcels.
Fully IRS Compliant
We Handle the Paperwork
Form 8283 Done Right
501(c)(3) Recognized Charity
Indiana rules for a property donation
Federal tax rules are the same in every state. These three are set by Indiana and by the county where the property sits.
The sales disclosure and the auditor
An Indiana deed is endorsed by the county auditor before recording, and most transfers are accompanied by a sales disclosure form filed with the assessor. Missing either sends the deed back from the counter. We prepare the set and route it in the right order.
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 Indiana owners call us about
Four situations that recur across the state.
A parcel on the county tax sale list
Indiana counties hold annual tax sales with a redemption period after the sale. The dates set the timetable and they move faster than people expect.
A factory town house that will not finance
Gary, Muncie, Anderson and the smaller industrial cities have sound housing where the appraisal will not support a loan.
Cash-rented farm ground
Productive row crop land owned by heirs who live in other states and have no involvement beyond the annual rent check.
A land contract still being paid
Selling on contract is common here. The seller’s interest is a real interest and it can be given.
Indiana property we accept
Each links to the full guide for that type, including how a donation compares with selling.
Houses in IndianaBungalows, four-squares, post-war ranches and farmhouses.
Indiana landWoodland, river parcels, lake lots and city lots.
Farm groundCorn and soybean ground, some of the most productive in the Midwest.
Commercial propertyCourthouse square buildings, storefronts and small offices.
Industrial buildingsPlant and warehouse space from the state’s manufacturing base.
Land contractsVery common in Indiana. We take over the payments and deliver the deed at payoff.
What a donation looks like by region
Six Indianas, each with a different pressure on the owner.
Indianapolis and the center
Inherited houses, infill lots and small commercial buildings on corridors that were rebuilt around them.
Northwest Indiana
Gary, Hammond and the lakeshore industrial belt, with housing that will not appraise and active tax sale lists.
The northeast
Fort Wayne and the lake country, with cottage property and farm ground held by absent heirs.
The Wabash valley and west
Row crop ground, small-town commercial and river property.
Southern Indiana
Hill country acreage, timber and Ohio river town housing.
The east central counties
Former factory towns where the plant closed, leaving sound houses with no buyer at a financeable price.
Indiana real estate donation questions, answered
Is a donated deed subject to Indiana transfer tax?+
Indiana has no statewide real estate transfer tax on deeds. Recording fees are set locally by the county recorder.
I live outside Indiana. Do I have to travel there to sign?+
No. We prepare the deed in the form Indiana requires for the county where the property sits, you sign before a notary where you live, and we record it with the county recorder.
My property is on the tax sale list. Is it too late?+
Often not, and the exact dates decide. Indiana counties sell tax certificates at annual sales with a redemption period afterwards, and the window closes on a schedule rather than at anyone’s discretion. Send the parcel number and the notice now rather than later.
Does Indiana give a state tax deduction for a property donation?+
Indiana has a state income tax, and how it treats a charitable contribution is set by Indiana law rather than by us. Your federal deduction follows the usual IRS rules. Take the state question to your own advisor.
We sold a house on contract years ago and the buyer is still paying. Can we donate that?+
Yes. The seller’s interest in a land contract is a recognized interest, and Indiana has a lot of them. We step in as the seller, take the payments and deliver the deed at payoff. See land contract donations.
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 Indiana property and we will review it
The county and a parcel number are enough to start.