No. 03 Charitable Donation
Donating art? The IRS has rules about who values it.
For donated works claimed above $5,000, the IRS requires a qualified appraisal by a qualified appraiser, filed with Form 8283. The donee must be a 501(c)(3) organization. I work with the institution so the gift fits its mission, and with your lawyer so the report supports the deduction they need. Fees are hourly — never a percentage of value. Contact me for current rates. I do not authenticate works; I consult catalogue raisonnés and artist foundations to see whether a piece is recognized in the artist’s oeuvre.
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
Qualified appraisal report stating the purpose is income-tax deduction, with high-resolution photos, exact dimensions, provenance and condition notes, artist biography, sources consulted, and the signed Form 8283 appraiser declaration — delivered as a PDF. Above $50,000, documentation is built to survive Art Advisory Panel scrutiny.
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.
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.