A Gilbert home’s value, for the heir’s tax records.

A parent or spouse has passed away and the Gilbert house is now yours. The tax question is simple to say, even if it is hard to be dealing with: what was the house worth on that day? An appraisal that looks back to it gives your tax adviser a documented figure to work from. We are glad to talk it through. Call (480) 573-7263.

Ask about a step-up appraisal · (480) 573-7263

What "step-up" means

Under 26 U.S.C. 1014(a), property inherited from someone who has passed generally takes a basis equal to its fair market value on the date of death. The IRS explains that an heir who later sells for more than that basis is taxed on the difference. The date is already behind you, so the appraisal looks backward: the house and the market as they stood that day, not today.

Arizona: a possible double step-up

Arizona is a community property state, and the IRS lists it as one in Publication 551 and Publication 555. Under section 1014(b)(6), when at least half of the community property is included in the gross estate, the surviving spouse's half can take the stepped-up basis too, so the whole house may be re-based to the value on the date of passing. Whether your Gilbert house qualifies depends on how it was bought, how it was titled and any agreement between the spouses. Your tax adviser decides that. What we supply is the value, clearly written.

Who picks the date

Your tax adviser or attorney does. It is normally the date of passing. Some estates elect an alternate valuation date under 26 U.S.C. 2032, but only on a filed federal estate tax return. Please have the date named before the appraisal is ordered.

Form 706, Form 8971 and Publication 559

• A federal estate tax return (Form 706), when one is required, is due nine months after the date of passing, per the IRS instructions. The IRS estate tax page gives $15,000,000 as the 2026 filing threshold.
• When an executor must file Form 706, Form 8971 reports the final estate tax value to the IRS and to each beneficiary, generally within 30 days after the Form 706 due date or filing, whichever is earlier (see Publication 559).
• Many Gilbert estates owe no federal estate tax and file no Form 706. Your adviser can tell you whether the basis rule still matters for yours.

Arizona has no state inheritance, estate or gift tax, according to the Department of Revenue's Publication 900. An appraisal does not file a return or work out what is owed.

A Gilbert house that has changed since then

Many families clean out, repaint or repair a home before anyone thinks about taxes. That is normal. The report still has to describe the house as it stood on the date of passing. Dated photos, listings and receipts help, and so can the permit history from the Town of Gilbert permit records and parcel details from the Maricopa County Assessor. Closed Gilbert sales from around that date, not today's listings, set the market. Our September 2026 snapshot covers one month across the whole town. It is not your date.

What to bring

• The Gilbert address and type of home.
• The date your adviser named, and the reason for the value.
• The deed or title wording, and any agreement between spouses.
• Photos, permits, listings and receipts from that period.
• Your CPA's or attorney's instructions.

There is no published fee. Ask for a written scope, fee and delivery estimate, and tell us on the first call if a Form 706 date is coming. The same value may also serve probate or estate needs; ask your adviser whether one report can cover both.

Begin with the house and the date

Call (480) 573-7263 or send the Gilbert address, the date and the purpose. Not sure what to send? Call and ask.