Valuable Gifts to Charity May Require an Appraisal
If you donate valuable items to charity, you may be required to get an appraisal. The IRS requires donors and charitable organizations to supply certain information to prove their right to deduct charitable contributions. If you donate an item of property (or a group of similar items) worth more than $5,000, certain appraisal requirements apply. You must:
- Get a “qualified appraisal,”
- Receive the qualified appraisal before your tax return is due,
- Attach an “appraisal summary” to the first tax return on which the deduction is claimed,
- Include other information with the return, and
- Maintain certain records.
Keep these definitions in mind. A qualified appraisal is a complex and detailed document. It must be prepared and signed by a qualified appraiser. An appraisal summary is a summary of a qualified appraisal made on Form 8283 and attached to the donor’s return.
While courts have allowed taxpayers some latitude in meeting the “qualified appraisal” rules, you should aim for exact compliance.
The qualified appraisal isn’t submitted separately to the IRS in most cases. Instead, the appraisal summary, which is a separate statement prepared on an IRS form, is attached to the donor’s tax return. However, a copy of the […]