Transfer tax
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Donate a house, farm or plateau lot in Tennessee, in any of the 95 counties
Tennessee property specialists: (888) 228-7320
Donate Real Estate in Tennessee
Tennessee charges its recordation tax to the grantee and requires an oath of value on the face of the deed, which means the value question is settled at recording rather than afterwards. Beyond that the state divides in three: delta and heir property in the west, a fast metro in the middle, and mountain and plateau land in the east. No state income tax on wages.
Fully IRS Compliant
We Handle the Paperwork
Form 8283 Done Right
501(c)(3) Recognized Charity
Tennessee rules for a property donation
Federal tax rules are the same in every state. These three are set by Tennessee and by the county where the property sits.
The oath of value
A Tennessee deed carries a sworn statement of value on its face, and the register computes the recordation tax from the greater of the consideration or the value. There is no separate form to chase; the statement travels with the deed, and we prepare it.
Recording
Deeds are recorded with the register of deeds in the county where the property sits, who also collects the recordation tax. You sign in front of a notary wherever you live, and we handle the filing.
What Tennessee owners call us about
Four situations that recur from Memphis to Bristol.
Heir property in the west
Family land and houses passed down without probate, now held in undivided shares by relatives spread across several states.
A Cumberland Plateau lot sold by mail
Recreational subdivisions platted decades ago, some with roads that were never built and no utilities at the lot line.
A Memphis or Chattanooga house that will not appraise
Sound older housing where the repair bill exceeds the finished value and the buyer pool is cash only.
Farm ground under greenbelt assessment
Use-value assessment lowers the bill and carries a rollback when the use changes. It is a figure in the review rather than a bar.
Tennessee property we accept
Each links to the full guide for that type, including how a donation compares with selling.
Houses in TennesseeCraftsman bungalows, brick ranches, farmhouses and mountain cabins.
Tennessee landPlateau lots, ridge acreage, lake parcels and city lots.
Farm groundRow crop in the west, pasture and hay in the middle and east.
Commercial propertyCourthouse square buildings, storefronts and small offices.
Industrial buildingsWarehouse and distribution space along the interstate corridors.
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
Three grand divisions and six distinct property markets.
Memphis and the delta
Heir property, sound older housing that will not appraise, and row crop ground held by absent heirs.
Nashville and the midstate
Inherited houses in neighbourhoods that changed value quickly, and infill lots worth more than what stands on them.
Chattanooga and the southeast
Ridge and valley property, older city housing and small commercial buildings.
Knoxville and the east
Lake property, foothills acreage and cabin lots near the national park.
The Tri-Cities and northeast
Mountain land, small-town housing and buildings with more space than the town needs.
The Cumberland Plateau
Recreational subdivision lots sold nationwide, timbered acreage and parcels with access questions.
Tennessee real estate donation questions, answered
Is a donated deed subject to Tennessee transfer tax?+
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I live outside Tennessee. Do I have to travel there to sign?+
No. We prepare the deed in the form Tennessee 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.
Who pays the recordation tax on a donated deed in Tennessee?+
The tax is charged to the grantee, and where it falls on us we pay it. The value used is the greater of the consideration or the sworn value on the deed, which is why the oath of value is prepared carefully rather than filled in casually.
Does Tennessee give a state tax deduction for a property donation?+
Tennessee does not levy a broad personal income tax on wages, so there is generally no state income tax deduction to claim. Your federal charitable deduction follows the usual IRS rules.
My plateau lot has no road to it. Is it worth donating?+
Often more than owners expect, usually to a neighbouring owner or someone assembling acreage. Tell us the county and the parcel number and we will look at it honestly. See land you cannot build on.
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 Tennessee property and we will review it
The county and a parcel number are enough to start.