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Artwork appraisals in Illinois for donations, estate tax, insurance, and divorce, prepared in accordance with USPAP and IRS requirements. AppraiseItNow appraises paintings, sculptures, prints, photography, and mixed media across Illinois, including Chicago, Springfield, and Rockford.
DEFENSIBLE, USPAP-COMPLIANT ARTWORK APPRAISAL REPORTS — QUALIFIED FOR THE IRS, ILLINOIS COURTS, LENDERS, INSURERS, AND MORE.
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Owner & CEO
Joe founded AppraiseItNow to make a certified, USPAP-compliant appraisal as simple to order as anything else online. A former Bain & Company strategy consultant, Joe leads the entire team and specializes in strategy, growth, and the firm's tech capabilities.
Personal Property Appraiser
ISA Accredited Member with 30 years in the trade, from running estate sales and an auction gallery to appraising luxury apparel, furniture, artwork, antiques, and business assets, primarily for IRS tax filings.
Personal Property Appraiser
ISA Accredited Member specializing in Asian art, with a Master's from SOAS and a Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art. Ashley chairs the ISA's Antiques, Furnishings, and Decorative Arts committee and appraises for charitable donation, insurance, and equitable distribution.
Client Success Manager
Manages each engagement from the first enquiry to the delivered report, and keeps you posted at every step along the way.
International Society of AppraisersAccredited Member
The Appraisal FoundationAuthorized by Congress as the source of appraisal standardsAppraiseItNow provides professional artwork appraisal services throughout Illinois, serving collectors, estates, institutions, and individuals who need credentialed valuations for donations, estate tax, insurance, and divorce proceedings. Illinois is home to one of the most active art markets in the country, anchored by Chicago's world-class museums, auction houses, and gallery districts, making accurate and defensible appraisals essential for anyone navigating the state's vibrant collecting landscape. Whether you are donating a painting to a Chicago institution, settling an estate with a significant collection, securing insurance coverage for fine art, or dividing assets in a divorce, our appraisers deliver the documentation you need to meet IRS, legal, and insurance standards.
AppraiseItNow offers both remote and onsite artwork appraisals in Illinois, giving clients the flexibility to choose the format that best fits their timeline and circumstances. Our credentialed appraisers conduct thorough research into comparable sales, auction records, artist history, provenance, and current market conditions to produce appraisal reports that hold up to IRS scrutiny, probate review, and insurance underwriting. For high-value works subject to IRS Art Appraisal Services review, our reports are prepared to meet the documentation standards outlined in IRS Publication 5497, including professional photographs, acquisition details, and analyzed comparables. Learn more about our national art appraisal services and how we approach each engagement. We offer Fair Market Value (FMV) and Replacement Value appraisals for various intended uses.
Our Illinois appraisers evaluate a broad range of artwork across all media, periods, and price points, from emerging contemporary works to museum-quality historical pieces. We appraise:
Illinois collectors and institutions hold an exceptionally diverse range of works, from 19th-century American paintings to 20th-century modernist pieces and contemporary Chicago-based artists. Our appraisers are equipped to handle single works, entire collections, and estate inventories of any scale.
AppraiseItNow serves a wide range of clients across Illinois, including individual collectors, estate attorneys, trust officers, financial advisors, insurance brokers, museums, galleries, non-profit organizations, and family offices who require credentialed artwork appraisals for legal, tax, and financial purposes.
What clients say we are known for
Across 80+ published AppraiseItNow reviews the picture is consistent: every one is from a client who paid us for an appraisal, and the three things they raise most often are that they would hire us again, how quickly we answer, and how much research is visible in the report.
The appraisal was done very well. Since he was a local artist here in Charleston, SC, they took the time to study and review Jim Booth’s art. His work has made him extremely famous, which can make an appraisal challenging, but they did a superb job and clearly explained how they arrived at the appraisal value. I highly recommend Appraise It Now and will use them again for all my artwork.
Artwork Appraisal for Insurance Coverage
AppraiseItNow did an excellent job appraising our unique art collection. Joe was always prompt and responsive, and he and his team delivered a thorough, well-supported appraisal in just a couple of weeks, even during the holiday season. I was genuinely impressed. Thank you for the great work!
Artwork Appraisal for Insurance Coverage
AppraiseItNow was amazing! My father passed with a large volume of artwork & I had no idea what it was worth. Their team was incredibly helpful and quick to respond with text and/or email to any questions as well as a status update along the way. Highly recommend!
Artwork Appraisal for Probate
I recently requested a retroactive appraisal for fine art from AppraiseItNow. I received excellent service from intake to delivery. The appraisal was delivered on time and the content of the appraisal absolutely met my expectations!
Artwork Appraisal
From the start they were very responsive, price competitive, and had a quick turn around time. Thank you so much to Joe who was very sweet in responding to my emails; I am looking forward to utilizing AppraiseItNow for many years to come.
Very thorough and professional — great communication and outstanding service. Highly impressed with their work!
Given the USPAP-compliant nature of AppraiseItNow’s appraisal reports, we prepare our deliverables for major legal, tax, and financial reporting purposes for individual and commercial clients.
Popular uses of our appraisal reports include:
Yes. Illinois taxes estates above a $4 million exemption at graduated rates reaching roughly 16 percent, and includible assets cover personal property such as artwork. Accurate date-of-death fair market value appraisals for a collection determine whether and how much state tax applies.
Auction record systems such as Artnet, Artprice, and AskART, plus auction house archives and subscription market analytics tools. These recorded transaction prices form the backbone of the sales comparison approach, which is the default method whenever an active secondary market exists for the artist or category.
No. Auction estimates are non-binding opinions designed partly to stimulate bidding, while a formal appraisal is a documented, standards-compliant opinion of value prepared for tax, estate, insurance, or legal use. When an Illinois court or the IRS is involved, an estimate is no substitute for a formal appraisal.
Yes. Under 755 ILCS 5/14-2 the representative may appraise goods and chattels or employ one or more competent, disinterested appraisers, and the court may separately appoint one, two, or three disinterested appraisers who take an oath, inspect the property, and report in writing, with their fees allowed as costs of administration. Contested collections frequently end up valued that way.
Within 60 days after letters of office issue. 755 ILCS 5/14-1 requires a verified inventory of the real and personal estate that has come to the representative’s knowledge, and a supplemental inventory within 60 days after later-discovered property is found. A piece located in storage or on loan after the first filing therefore needs its own supplement rather than a quiet addition.
