Transfer tax
North Carolina charges an excise tax of $1.00 per $500 of consideration. 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, farm or coastal lot in North Carolina, in any of the 100 counties
North Carolina property specialists: (888) 228-7320
Donate Real Estate in North Carolina
North Carolina runs from barrier islands to the Blue Ridge in one day’s drive, and the property questions change completely along the way. Heir property in the east, tobacco ground out of production, mountain lots sold in speculative subdivisions, and coastal parcels where the setback line moves. We accept property in all 100 counties.
Fully IRS Compliant
We Handle the Paperwork
Form 8283 Done Right
501(c)(3) Recognized Charity
North Carolina rules for a property donation
Federal tax rules are the same in every state. These three are set by North Carolina and by the county where the property sits.
Excise stamps and who signs
North Carolina charges its excise tax on the deed at recording, and the register of deeds will not accept a conveyance without it computed or an exemption stated. Where property is a married couple’s residence, both spouses ordinarily sign regardless of whose name is on title. We confirm both before drafting.
Recording
Deeds are recorded with the register of deeds for the county where the property sits. You sign before a notary wherever you live, and we handle the filing.
What North Carolina owners call us about
Four situations that recur here more than elsewhere.
Heir property in the eastern counties
Family land held in undivided shares for generations without probate. The first job is working out who the owners are and who can sign.
A mountain lot with no road
Steep parcels sold in speculative subdivisions in the 1970s and again in the 2000s, some with roads that were never cut and slopes that will not take a septic system.
A coastal house after a storm season
Wind and flood damage, insurance that did not cover the rebuild, and elevation requirements that change the arithmetic entirely.
Tobacco ground out of production
Land that stopped being farmed when the quota system ended, now held by heirs who live in the cities.
North Carolina property we accept
Each links to the full guide for that type, including how a donation compares with selling.
Houses in North CarolinaMill houses, brick ranches, coastal cottages and mountain cabins.
North Carolina landMountain parcels, piedmont acreage, coastal and sound-front lots.
Farm groundRow crop and former tobacco land, pasture and pine.
Commercial propertyDowntown buildings in the small cities, storefronts and offices.
Industrial buildingsFormer textile and furniture plants and warehouse space.
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 comes loose.
The Outer Banks and coast
Storm damage, flood elevation requirements and shifting setback lines. A lot can still be valuable when the house on it no longer is.
The inner coastal plain
Heir property, former tobacco ground and small towns with more buildings than buyers.
The Triangle
Inherited houses in neighborhoods that have changed value fast, plus infill lots worth more than what stands on them.
The Triad
Mill and furniture plant buildings, and older city housing where repairs outrun value.
Charlotte and the southern piedmont
Estate houses in older neighborhoods and small commercial buildings on corridors that were bypassed.
The mountains
Steep subdivision lots with access and septic problems, cabin property held by out-of-state families, and timbered acreage.
North Carolina real estate donation questions, answered
Is a donated deed subject to North Carolina transfer tax?+
North Carolina charges an excise tax of $1.00 per $500 of consideration. 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 North Carolina. Do I have to travel there to sign?+
No. We prepare the deed in the form North Carolina requires for the county where the property sits, you sign before a notary where you live, and we record it with the county register of deeds.
My mountain lot has no road and will not perc. Is it worth donating?+
Often more than owners expect, and usually to a neighboring owner rather than the open market. Value comes from assembly and access rather than a building permit. See land you cannot build on for how these are placed.
Does North Carolina give a state tax deduction for a property donation?+
North Carolina has a state income tax, and how it treats a charitable contribution is set by North Carolina law rather than by us. Your federal deduction follows the usual IRS rules. Take the state question to your own advisor.
Our family land has never been through probate. Can anything be done?+
Yes, and it is one of the most common calls we take from the eastern counties. Undivided heir interests can sometimes be given individually, and sometimes the whole tract needs the owners identified first. Tell us how the land came down and we will tell you what the register of deeds will need.
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 North Carolina property and we will review it
The county and a parcel number are enough to start.