Whatcom County Gift Deed Forms (Washington)

Express Checkout

Form Package

Gift Deed

State

Washington

Area

Whatcom County

Price

$27.97

Delivery

Immediate Download

Payment Information

Please provide a valid email.
Please provide a valid first name.
Please provide a valid last name.
Please provide a valid card number.
Please provide a valid security code.
Please provide a valid billing zip code.
You must agree before submitting.
More info on getting a copy of your existing deed and eRecording.

Included Forms

All Whatcom County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:

Gift Deed Form

Gift Deed Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included document last reviewed/updated 12/18/2023

Gift Deed Guide

Gift Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included document last reviewed/updated 3/20/2024

Completed Example of the Gift Deed Document

Completed Example of the Gift Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included document last reviewed/updated 3/8/2024

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long does it take to get my forms?

Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Washington or Whatcom County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.

How do I get my forms, are they emailed?

Forms are NOT emailed to you. Immediately after you submit payment, the Whatcom County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be sent to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance.

What type of files are the forms?

All of our Whatcom County Gift Deed forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Can the Gift Deed forms be re-used?

Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Whatcom County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Whatcom County.

Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Whatcom County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Whatcom County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Do I have to enter all of my property information online?

No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.

Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?

Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.

Do I need any special software to use these forms?

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Are there any recurring fees involved?

No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

Areas Covered by These Gift Deed Forms:

  • Whatcom County

Including:

  • Acme
  • Bellingham
  • Blaine
  • Custer
  • Deming
  • Everson
  • Ferndale
  • Lummi Island
  • Lynden
  • Maple Falls
  • Nooksack
  • Point Roberts
  • Sumas

What is the Washington Gift Deed

Gifts of Real Estate (Real Property) in Washington

A gift deed, or deed of gift, is a legal document voluntarily transferring title to real property from one party (the grantor or donor) to another (the grantee or donee). A gift deed typically transfers real property between family or close friends. Gift deeds are also used to donate to a non-profit organization or charity. The deed serves as proof that the transfer is indeed a gift and without consideration (any conditions or form of compensation).

In order for a gift deed to be valid they must meet the following requirements: The grantor must intend to make a present gift of the property, the grantor must deliver the property to the grantee, and the grantee must accept the gift. A gift deed must contain language that explicitly states no consideration is expected or required, because any ambiguity or reference to consideration can make the deed contestable in court. A promise to transfer ownership in the future is not a gift, and any deed that does not immediately transfer the interest in the property, or meet any of the aforementioned requirements, can be revoked [1].

A lawful gift deed includes the grantor's full name and marital status, as well as the grantee's full name, marital status, mailing address, and vesting. Vesting describes how the grantee holds title to the property. For Washington residential property, the following types of joint ownership are recognized: tenancy in common, joint tenancy and community property. A grant of ownership of real estate to two or more persons is presumed to create a tenancy in common, unless a joint tenancy with right of survivorship is expressly created in the conveyance. In the case of husband and wife, real estate automatically vests as community property (Wash. Rev. Code 26.16; 11.04.071; 64.28).

As with any conveyance of real estate, a gift deed requires a complete legal description of the parcel. If the entire legal description does not fit on the first page, use an abbreviated description, and enter the location in the document where the full description is located. It is not acceptable to "See attached" or "refer to Exhibit A" in place of abbreviating the legal description (Wash. Rev. Code 65.04.045). In Washington, any deed of real estate described by lot and block and addition or plat will not be filed or recorded until the plat of such addition has been filed for record (Wash. Rev. Code 65.04.030).

Recite the source of title to establish a clear chain of title, and detail any restrictions associated with the property. Record the completed deed, along with a completed Washington real estate excise tax affidavit, which is required for transfers by gift. A supplemental statement approved by the department must be completed and attached to the affidavit. (Wash. Rev. Code 458-61A-201)

The fee for recording a real estate deed in Washington is $73 to record the first page and $1 for each additional page. For recording plats, there is a minimum fee of $25 per plat. Each lot is $0.50 and each acknowledgment, dedication, and description is $1. (Wash. Rev. Code 36.18.010).
The grantor is responsible for paying the Federal Gift Tax. The IRS implements a Federal Gift Tax on any transfer of property from one individual to another with no consideration, or consideration that is less than the full market value. In accordance with federal law, individuals are permitted an annual exclusion of $15,000 on gifts. This means that if a gift is valued below $15,000, a federal gift tax return (Form 709) does not need to be filed. However, if the gift is something that could possibly be disputed by the IRS -- such as real property -- a grantor may benefit from filing a Form 709 [2].

In Washington, there is no state gift tax. For questions regarding state taxation laws, consult a tax specialist. Gifts of real property in Washington are, however, subject to the federal gift tax. The grantor is responsible for paying the federal gift tax; however, if the grantor does not pay the gift tax, the gratnee will be held liable [1].

With gifts of real property, the recipient of the gift (grantee) is not required to declare the amount of the gift as income, but if the property accrues income after the transaction, the recipient is responsible for paying the requisite state and federal income taxes [3].

This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Contact a lawyer with any questions about gift deeds or other issues related to the transfer of real property. For questions regarding federal and state taxation laws, consult a tax specialist.

[1] https://nationalparalegal.edu/public_documents/courseware_asp_files/realProperty/PersonalProperty/InterVivosGifts.asp
[2] http://msuextension.org/publications/FamilyFinancialManagement/MT199105HR.pdf
[3] https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/frequently-asked-questions-on-gift-taxes

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Whatcom County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Whatcom County Gift Deed form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 (4324 Reviews)

Michael L.

April 25th, 2024

Professional, simple. Very good.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Barbara A.

April 25th, 2024

Always helpful!\r\n

Reply from Staff

We are thankful for your continued support and feedback, which inspire us to continuously improve. Thank you..

Mark E.

April 25th, 2024

This was easy to use and only contained one glaring error-where to send the completed form to finish the process. I’ve completed the form, does this mean I get the amended deed sent to me? I think not.

Reply from Staff

Your insights are invaluable to us and help us strive for better service. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Anne S.

June 13th, 2019

Responsive and honest. They were unable to obtain records for me, no fault of theirs, and immediately let me know and credited my account. I give Deeds dot com five stars and would come back. Thank you.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

anthony r.

November 19th, 2020

Fast and easy

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Gerry C.

February 6th, 2021

Forms appear to be most current and instructions clear. Inserting grantor/grantee information onto form a bit "clunky" however no major issues. I will be using services again.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Gloria C.

January 6th, 2021

AMazing service. Fast and affordable.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Carol C.

October 20th, 2021

Thanks. So easy to navigate. Also very useful. I recommend.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

BROOKE W.

February 16th, 2021

Great fillable form! And the separate instruction sheet was detailed and very clear. I particularly appreciate you including a sample of a completed form. I've filled in real estate forms before but never this one, and there were some things I didn't know.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Ron S.

April 5th, 2019

Fair price and beneficiary deed was recorded without issue. Completion instructions provided were insufficient in some cases.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Andrew M.

January 21st, 2024

Awesome service, I don’t know how much it saved me but I know it was a lot cheaper than going to a lawyer.

Reply from Staff

We are delighted to have been of service. Thank you for the positive review!

Andrew F.

August 18th, 2022

The process was terrific. Much better than hiring someone local to process deeds, as deeds.com got back to me right away with corrections before submitting.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Glenn W.

May 5th, 2021

I love this tool and it is easy to work with. The interface is straight forward and notifications are consistently accurate.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Margo W.

June 11th, 2022

Very easy to understand and complete the process. This is the third attempt to download a Quit Claim Deed and the only one we had success with. Thank you.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

DENNIS M.

January 18th, 2023

very simple and complete

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!