Independent, USPAP-compliant business valuations for gift and estate tax, charitable donations, Roth IRA conversions, buy/sell agreements, divorce, and financial reporting. We value LLCs, family partnerships, holding companies, and privately held stock, including minority interests.
Reached out to Joe and Team in a difficult spot… huge weight lifted off the client and his advisors
Responsive, professional, first class deliverables
Joe and Aron were extremely impressive… could not have been more helpful
DEFENSIBLE, USPAP-COMPLIANT BUSINESS APPRAISAL REPORTS — QUALIFIED FOR THE IRS, INSURANCE AGENCIES, LENDERS, AND MORE.
Popular uses
A business valuation is often commissioned for a transfer rather than a sale: an interest donated to a charity, an IRA converted to a Roth, shares moved to the next generation, a partner bought out, or a marital estate divided. Each use below carries its own standard of value and its own reader, and the report is written for that reader.
Closely held stock, LLC units, and partnership interests contributed to a charity or a donor-advised fund. The IRS requires a qualified appraisal for nonpublicly traded stock over $10,000 and for other interests over $5,000, valued as of the date of the gift.
A self-directed IRA that holds a private company, an LLC, or real estate has to be valued at fair market value as of the conversion date, because that value is the income the conversion is taxed on. The custodian requires the report; we prepare it for the account holder.
Interests in a family business or holding company transferred to children or a trust, reported on Form 709, or valued as of the date of death for Form 706. Minority and marketability discounts are analyzed and documented, because that is where the IRS looks first.
Buying out a partner, pricing shares under a buy-sell agreement, supporting an SBA or bank loan, or reporting fair value to auditors after an acquisition. The standard of value is set by the agreement or the accounting standard, and the report says which one applied.
An independent value for a business interest that is part of a marital estate, prepared for either spouse's attorney or jointly, and schedules of value for a closely held company or its assets in a Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 filing.
An LLC or partnership converting to a C corporation needs the fair market value of what it contributes as of the conversion date, because under IRC 1202(i) that value sets the stock's QSBS basis and counts toward the gross assets test. We prepare an independent USPAP report for the company's counsel and tax advisors.
A solar investment tax credit rests on the fair market value of the project company or partnership interest, not the modules alone. We value the interest, allocate the price among the assets under the residual method, and document the basis a Section 6418 credit buyer's diligence will review.
Independent valuations of whole entities and minority interests, prepared by credentialed business appraisers.
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AppraiseItNow provides independent, USPAP-compliant business valuations of closely held companies and the interests in them. Each report is written for the reader it is going to, whether that is the IRS, a court, a lender, an auditor, or the other side of a transaction.
What we value
We value closely held companies as a whole and the individual interests held in them:
How engagements run
Most engagements run remotely. We visit asset-heavy businesses when seeing the operation changes the number. The documents we work from are usually already on file:
What every report states
Every report states the standard of value applied, the approaches used, and the support for any discount for lack of control or marketability, because those are the pages a reviewer turns to first.
When an LLC or partnership becomes a C corporation, Section 1202(i) gives the new stock a basis of at least the fair market value of what was exchanged, and the QSBS exclusion reaches only gain above it. We prepare the independent conversion-date valuation that sets that line.
Why the date matters
Appreciation that built up while the company was an LLC or partnership is taxed under the ordinary rules when the stock is sold; only growth after the conversion can qualify. The same value is used when the corporation's gross assets are tested against the $75 million limit that applies to stock issued after July 4, 2025. See 26 U.S.C. 1202.
What we deliver
A USPAP-compliant fair market value of the converting business as of the conversion date, with the approaches and evidence stated, for the attorney or CPA who determines qualification. When the new corporation later grants options, we prepare its 409A valuations as well.
Solar tax-credit work is often a valuation of a project company or partnership interest, not of modules alone. We prepare fair market value and residual-method allocations for ITC basis, related-party sales, and Section 6418 diligence.
Why the company matters
When a developer sells a project company before placed-in-service, the buyer's credit basis generally follows the price paid for eligible energy property under Sections 48 and 48E. An independent valuation keeps the expected credit out of that price and allocates it under the residual method.
What we deliver
A USPAP-compliant fair market value of the project company or interest, with the residual-method allocation among energy property, contract rights, and goodwill stated for tax counsel, tax equity, or a Section 6418 credit buyer.
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Owner & CEO
Joe joined AppraiseItNow as a co-owner in 2022 and acquired the company in November 2024 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.
Business Valuation Expert & Appraiser
ASA, ABV, and CFA charterholder. Since 2016 Justin has valued businesses for estate and gift tax, purchase price allocations, fairness opinions, lending, and buy-sell agreements, across manufacturing, services, retail, and pre-revenue biotech.
Business Valuation Expert & Appraiser
Accredited Senior Appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers. Raymond values capital stock, business enterprises, stock options, and intangible assets.
Client Success Manager
Manages each engagement from the first enquiry to the delivered report, and keeps you posted at every step along the way.
American Society of AppraisersAccredited Senior Appraiser
The Appraisal FoundationAuthorized by Congress as the source of appraisal standardsWhat clients say we are known for
Across 110+ 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.
Reached out to Joe and Team in a difficult spot. A client gifted 5 Private Market LPs to a trust and needed a valuation and had a 5 week window to get it done. We had a call with Joe and he outlined what information was needed and provided an estimated cost. We received a detailed engagement letter with final cost. Joe was confident his team could get the job done on time. We received the draft valuation in approximately 4 weeks which needed to be reviewed by tax and legal counsel. When it was all said and done the final report was delivered a couple days earlier than originally promised which was a huge weight lifted off the client and his advisors. Communication is key and AppraiseItNow did a great job from start to finish and delivered exactly what they promised. Great experience!
Business Valuation for Gift Tax
Responsive, professional, first class deliverables -- especially considering that that the appraised assets are extremely complex financial assets with little by way of comps. The deliverable satisfied my accountants and advisers as being more than adequate to support the valuation needed to complete a conversion to a Roth IRA
Business Valuation for IRA Conversion
Joe and Aron were extremely impressive - the entire process went very smoothly. They were always quick to respond to any questions I had and could not have been more helpful. They were aware of some tight time restrictions I had and made sure I received my reports in a timely fashion. I highly recommend them to anyone needing a valuation.
Business Valuation for Charitable Donation
I used AppraiseItNow to examine a contribution to a foundation. Their work was quick, thorough, and easy to work with, as they’ve developed a simple system for uploading documents. I plan to use them again.
Business Valuation for Charitable Donation
The team was highly knowledgeable, helpful, and efficient. I highly recommend their appraisal services, especially for private companies.
Business Valuation for IRA Conversion
I found them professional & responsive. The report was quite thorough as well.
Business Valuation for Charitable Donation
Standard Fee Range
$7.5K – $12K
Standard range for our Business Valuation appraisals based on past projects
Two report tiers. Your intended use sets which one you need.
from $4,500
USPAP-compliant report for standard purposes
from $5,500
USPAP-compliant and IRS-qualified report for advanced purposes
Informational ranges, subject to change. We review your materials and issue your quote before we start.
Low Complexity & Size
$4500 – $6500
Simple financial asset with lower face value
Medium Complexity & Size
$8K – $12K
Higher quantity or complexity financial assets requiring more robust analysis
Highest Complexity & Size
$15K – $20K+
Sophisticated financial assets requiring highly technical analysis and increased level of detail for IRS or Legal Purposes; expedited turnaround
Our fees are fixed and scope-based, never hourly. We propose a fixed fee before any work starts, so you know the cost before you engage us. The figures below are for orientation; we scope each assignment from your materials before quoting.
Real business valuation assignments we have completed, showing the intended use each report was prepared for, the standard of value applied, and how the conclusion was supported.
One share in a forty-year-old motorcycle racing company with growing revenue and negative earnings, valued for estate planning.
Read the case study
A minority stake in a California industrial distribution partnership, after adding back related-party pay to see what the business really earned.
Read the case study
A 6% interest in an LLC that owns a single central Illinois apartment complex, valued for the IRS ahead of a Roth conversion.
Read the case studyWhenever an ownership interest is transferred, reported to a taxing authority, or relied on in a legal or financial decision. The common triggers:
A reduction that reflects what a minority owner cannot do: direct management, set compensation, declare distributions, or decide when to sell. Because of those limits, a minority interest is usually worth less per unit than a controlling one.
A reduction that reflects how hard a private interest is to turn into cash. Unlike public stock, it may carry transfer restrictions, few willing buyers, and no set timeline to liquidity, and that can materially affect value.
No. Whether a discount applies, and how large it is, depends on the rights attached to the interest, the governing documents, and the economics of the company. The report analyzes each one and shows the support for the figure used.
Yes. We prepare qualified appraisals of S corporation stock for tax-deductible gifts and the filing of IRS Form 8283.
Turnaround depends on the complexity of the interest, the number of entities, and how quickly the documents arrive, and we confirm timing up front. If you are working to a filing date, a court date, or a closing, tell us the deadline and we will tell you whether we can meet it.
