Transforming Realty to Gift Reality
Real Estate
Want to make a big gift to Washington State University without touching your bank account? Consider giving us real estate. Such a generous gift helps us continue our work for years to come. And a gift of real estate also helps you. When you give us appreciated property you have held longer than one year, you qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction. You avoid paying capital gains tax. And you no longer have to deal with that property's maintenance costs, property taxes or insurance.
Another benefit: You don't have to hassle with selling the real estate. You can deed the property directly to WSU or ask your attorney to add a few sentences in your will or trust agreement.
Ways to Give Real Estate
You can give real estate to WSU in the following ways:
Submit a few details and see the benefits of an outright gift.
An outright gift. When you make a gift today of real estate you have owned longer than one year, you qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction equal to the property's full fair market value. This deduction lets you reduce the cost of making the gift and frees cash that otherwise would have been used to pay taxes. By donating the property to us, you also eliminate capital gains tax on its appreciation.
A gift in your will or living trust. A gift of real estate through your will or living trust allows you the flexibility to change your mind and the potential to support our work with a larger gift than you could during your lifetime. In as little as one sentence or two, you can ensure that your support for WSU continues after your lifetime.
Submit a few details and see the benefits of a retained life estate.
A retained life estate. Perhaps you like the tax advantages a gift of real estate to our organization would offer, but you want to continue living in your personal residence for your lifetime. You can transfer your personal residence or farm to WSU but keep the right to occupy (or rent out) the home for the rest of your life. You continue to pay real estate taxes, maintenance fees and insurance on the property. Even though WSU would not actually take possession of the residence until after your lifetime, since your gift cannot be revoked, you qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction for a portion of your home's value.
Submit a few details and see the benefits of a bargain sale.
A bargain sale. Want to sell us your property for less than the fair market value? A "bargain sale" may be the answer. When you make a bargain sale, you sell your property to our organization for less than what it's worth. The difference between the actual value and the sale price is considered a gift to us. A bargain sale can be an effective way to dispose of property that has increased in value, and it is the only gift vehicle that can give you a lump sum of cash and a charitable deduction (when you itemize) at the same time.
Submit a few details and see the benefits of a charitable remainder unitrust.
A charitable remainder unitrust. You can contribute any type of appreciated real estate you've owned for more than one year, provided it's unmortgaged, in exchange for an income stream for life or a term of up to 20 years. The donated property may be a residence (a personal residence must be vacant upon contribution), undeveloped land, a farm or commercial property. Real estate works well with only certain variations of charitable remainder trusts. Your estate planning attorney, who will draft your trust, can give you more details.
A charitable lead trust. This gift can be a wonderful way for you to benefit WSU and simultaneously transfer appreciated real estate to your family tax-free. You should consider funding the charitable lead trust with real estate that is income-producing and expected to increase in value over the term of the trust.
A memorial or endowed gift. A gift of real estate may be a perfect way to honor your loved one in perpetuity. When you make an endowed gift of real estate, your contribution is invested with and becomes part of our endowment. An annual distribution is made for the purpose you designate. Because the principal remains intact, the fund will generate support in perpetuity.
A donor advised fund. When you transfer real estate to your donor advised fund, you avoid capital gains taxes and qualify for a federal income tax deduction based on the fair market value of the property when you itemize on your taxes.
Check Out This Potential Scenario
Janet purchased a rental property years ago and has watched it grow steadily in value. Still active in her career and traveling frequently, she's beginning to find management of the property more and more of a hassle. At this stage of her life, Janet has decided to move to a 55+ condominium development, where all exterior maintenance is provided and she doesn't have to worry about security issues. Janet sees this as an opportunity to give her rental property to a charity that's important to her while realizing valuable tax benefits.
Janet avoids capital gains tax on the appreciation and qualifies for a federal income tax charitable deduction of $250,000, which is the property's fair market value today. She is able to claim 30 percent of her $200,000 adjusted gross income, or $60,000, in the year of the gift. In the five years following, she can continue to use up the remaining $190,000 deduction. Janet is happy in her new condo and loves knowing that the gift of her property will make a big difference supporting our mission.
Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.