No. 03 Charitable Donation
Donating art? The IRS has rules about who values it.
Our non-cash charitable contribution appraisals are written to the high standards of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), and the Appraisers Association of America (AAA). They are accepted, and have never been challenged, by the IRS. The appraiser has a 100% record of acceptance, and has never been questioned by the IRS Art Advisory Panel. The donee must be a 501(c)(3) organization. Fees are hourly — never a percentage of value.
Donation to a Museum or University · Gift Claimed Above $5,000 · Fractional Gifts · Substantiating a Deduction Under Review
Plate III — A gift, crated for the museum
The Process
How it works
01
Timing check
The IRS requires the appraisal no earlier than 60 days before the gift; we schedule around your donation date.
02
Inspection & research
In-person inspection and fair-market-value research keyed to your donation date. Each comparable sale is documented with artist and title, sale date and price (including buyer’s premium), medium, dimensions, source citation, and — critically — why that sale is a valid substitute, with any condition or quality adjustments explained in plain language. Only arm’s-length, open-market sales; distress or related-party transfers are excluded.
03
Qualified report
Reports include cataloging of artwork and personal property, with color digital images meeting IRS specifications. Fair market values are supported with sales and images of comparable items, as required by the IRS. The report is prepared to be transparent so it can be confidently submitted in support of your donation. The appraiser consults with the nonprofit institution and generates IRS Form 8283, which is sent to the donee organization.
Common Questions
Common questions
Q — 01
When must the appraisal be dated?
No earlier than 60 days before the date of the gift, and you must receive it by your return's filing deadline.
Q — 02
What happens above $20,000 / $50,000?
Above $5,000 you complete Section B of Form 8283 with a qualified appraisal. Above $20,000 the full signed report is attached to the return; at $50,000+ the IRS may review through the Art Advisory Panel, which requires still more rigorous provenance and exhibition history. I am not a tax attorney — your counsel should review IRS Publication 561 against your specific situation.
Form 8283 qualified appraisals for Massachusetts gifts.Q — 03
Can the receiving museum do the appraisal?
No — the donee institution is a prohibited appraiser under IRS rules. That's precisely why an independent qualified appraiser exists.
Read the IRS rule: a museum cannot appraise art you donate to them.