Transfer tax
Massachusetts charges a deed excise tax of $2.28 per $500 of consideration in most counties. 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, land or building in Massachusetts, in any of the 14 counties
Massachusetts property specialists: (888) 228-7320
Donate Real Estate in Massachusetts
Massachusetts keeps two parallel land systems: ordinary recorded land, and registered land under a Land Court title certificate. Which one your property sits in changes how the deed is handled. Add classified farm and forest land carrying a municipal right of first refusal, and you have the two things that most often set the timetable here.
Fully IRS Compliant
We Handle the Paperwork
Form 8283 Done Right
501(c)(3) Recognized Charity
Massachusetts rules for a property donation
Federal tax rules are the same in every state. These three are set by Massachusetts and by the county where the property sits.
Recorded land and registered land
Most Massachusetts property is recorded land, but a meaningful share is registered under the Land Court with a certificate of title, and those transfers are filed with the registry district rather than recorded in the ordinary way. We find out which yours is before drafting, because the procedure differs.
Recording
Deeds are recorded with the registry of deeds for the registry district where the property sits. You sign before a notary wherever you live, and we handle the filing.
What Massachusetts owners call us about
Four situations the commonwealth produces more of than most.
Land classified as forest, farm or recreational
Chapter classification lowers the tax bill and gives the town a right of first refusal when the land is sold or converted. That right has to be addressed before a transfer, and we deal with the town.
A triple decker held since the war
Three-family houses in the Boston-area cities, owned by one family for generations and now inherited by heirs in three states.
A condo facing a capital assessment
Older buildings with roof, masonry and deck work outstanding. The assessment is a number we weigh, not a disqualifier.
A house with a failed septic system
Title 5 inspection at transfer is standard practice here, and a failing system is a real number. We do not ask for it to be replaced first.
Massachusetts property we accept
Each links to the full guide for that type, including how a donation compares with selling.
Houses in MassachusettsTriple deckers, capes, colonials and mill town housing.
Condos and rentalsCondominium units and small multifamily buildings, tenants in place.
Massachusetts landWoodland, hill town acreage and coastal lots.
Farm groundCranberry bog, orchard, hay and pasture.
Commercial propertyMain street buildings, storefronts and small offices.
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 regions, six different reasons property becomes a burden.
Boston and the inner suburbs
High values and low basis, triple deckers held for generations, and condo buildings with capital work overdue.
The North Shore
Older coastal housing, small commercial in the former mill cities, and land with wetland constraints.
The South Shore and Cape
Seasonal houses, septic and Title 5 questions, and coastal parcels subject to wetlands and floodplain rules.
Worcester and central Massachusetts
Three-family houses, small-town commercial and classified woodland in the surrounding towns.
The Pioneer Valley
Farm ground under chapter classification, mill buildings and river town housing.
The Berkshires
Second homes held by families who stopped coming, large wooded parcels and hill town property with real winter carrying costs.
Massachusetts real estate donation questions, answered
Is a donated deed subject to Massachusetts transfer tax?+
Massachusetts charges a deed excise tax of $2.28 per $500 of consideration in most counties. 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 Massachusetts. Do I have to travel there to sign?+
No. We prepare the deed in the form Massachusetts requires for the county where the property sits, you sign before a notary where you live, and we record it with the registry of deeds.
My land is in Chapter 61. Can it still be donated?+
Yes, with a step. Classified forest, agricultural and recreational land gives the town a right of first refusal on a sale or conversion, and that has to be handled before a transfer. It is routine correspondence and we take it on.
Does Massachusetts give a state tax deduction for a property donation?+
Massachusetts has a state income tax, and how it treats a charitable contribution is set by Massachusetts law rather than by us. Your federal deduction follows the usual IRS rules. Take the state question to your own advisor.
My property is registered land. Is that a problem?+
No, it is a different procedure. Registered land carries a Land Court certificate of title, and the transfer is filed with the registry district rather than recorded in the usual way. Tell us the certificate number if you have it.
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 Massachusetts property and we will review it
The county and a parcel number are enough to start.