The rent roll
Tenants, rents, square footage and lease end dates.
Donate an office building to charity, leased or vacant
Office property specialists: (888) 228-7320
Donate an Office Building to Charity
Office demand has changed, and many owners of smaller office buildings are carrying vacancy they did not plan for. Real Estate with Causes accepts donated office buildings nationwide: professional buildings, suburban office, medical office and small downtown buildings, fully leased, partly leased or empty. We take over the leases and the building on the day the deed records.
Tell us about the property
Every property gets a look. Name, phone and email are the only required fields.
Fully IRS Compliant
We Handle the Paperwork
Form 8283 Done Right
501(c)(3) Recognized Charity
Office buildings in a changed market
A building that was fully leased five years ago may be half empty today. That lowers its appraised value, but it also makes a sale slow and uncertain, which is often where a donation makes more sense than waiting.
Medical office
Medical and dental office buildings often hold occupancy better and carry specialized build-outs that add value.
Owner-occupied buildings
If your own practice or company occupies the building, a leaseback at fair market rent can sometimes be arranged, with your advisor involved.
The tax side of donating an office building
For commercial property held more than a year, the deduction is generally its appraised fair market value, limited to 30% of AGI with a five-year carryforward, and depreciation taken on the building can reduce it. Your advisor will need your depreciation schedule.
Appraisals of office buildings usually rely on income and comparable sales. The appraiser is your choice and your expense, which is what makes the appraisal qualified.
What to have ready when you call
Office owners usually have all of this from their leasing broker.
Recent operating statements
Income and expenses for the past year or two.
Any loan documents
Lender, balance and any prepayment terms.
Office building donation questions, answered
Will you accept a mostly vacant office building? +
Yes, for review. Vacancy lowers the value, but it is the reason many owners call. Tell us the occupancy and the condition.
My practice occupies the building. Can I keep using it? +
Possibly, under a lease at fair market rent, properly documented. Keeping use without paying rent would undermine the deduction. Your advisor should be involved.
Do tenant improvement allowances transfer? +
Unfunded allowances promised in a lease are an obligation of the landlord, so they transfer with the building. We will want to see them.
What about deferred maintenance on the roof or HVAC? +
Tell us. It lowers the appraised value but is a property fact we review. No repairs are required before a donation.
Can a building held in a partnership be donated? +
Yes, by the partnership. Each partner’s share of the deduction passes through, subject to their own limits.
We do not provide tax or legal advice. See IRS Publication 526, Publication 561 and the Form 8283 instructions, and consult your own advisor.
Related guides
Tell us about the building and we will review it
Send the address, the occupancy and any loan, and we will tell you plainly what a donation would look like.