Scope of Service

Defensible Valuations for Estate and Gift Purposes

Real property is frequently a significant — sometimes dominant — asset in a taxable estate. The value reported on Form 706 or Form 709 must be supportable under IRS examination and, if challenged, under U.S. Tax Court scrutiny. A lending-style appraisal does not satisfy these requirements and can expose the estate to audit risk and penalties.

We provide Qualified Appraisals under Treasury Regulation §1.170A-17 for real property held in estates, trusts, and gift transfers. Our reports identify the appraiser's qualifications, the effective date, the methodology, and the data in the format examiners expect.

We regularly work alongside estate attorneys and CPAs throughout the administration process, including where valuations are needed for multiple properties across multiple states in a single estate.

Valuation Purposes Covered

Date-of-death valuation (IRC §2031) — Federal Form 706
Alternate valuation date (IRC §2032) — six months post-death
Gift tax valuation (IRC §2512) — Federal Form 709
Charitable contribution of real property (IRC §170)
GRAT, IDGT, and other trust transfer valuations
Step-up in basis documentation (IRC §1014)
Fiduciary duty valuation for trust administration

Property Types

High-value residential — primary residences, vacation homes, estates
Investment and income-producing properties
Commercial, industrial, retail
Vacant and development land
Partial interests and fractional ownership (see Fractional Interest page)

Qualified Appraisal Standard

IRS Qualified Appraisals must be performed by a Qualified Appraiser no earlier than 60 days before and no later than the due date of the return. William Martinez meets the ASA designation requirement for Qualified Appraiser status under Treasury Regulations.

Working With Us

Coordinating with Counsel and CPA

Intake & Timeline

We confirm the valuation date, applicable IRC provision, return due date, and any extension. Multi-property estates can be scheduled across a single engagement with coordinated delivery.

Inspection & Research

Property inspection at or near the effective date, or retrospective analysis using historical market data. We reconstruct the market conditions as of the valuation date with documented comparable evidence.

Qualified Appraisal Report

Report formatted to satisfy Treasury Regulation requirements: appraiser qualifications, effective date, methodology, data sources, and final value conclusion. Delivered in PDF and, if required, in attorney-editable format.

IRS Exam Support

If the return is selected for examination or the value challenged by the IRS, we provide supplemental analysis, independent review of IRS expert reports under USPAP Standards Rule 3, and consultation during the examination process.

Estate, Gift & IRS Tax Valuation