Gift deed (donación)
It's the contract by which one person transfers an asset free of charge to another, who accepts it. For real estate and valuable assets it requires a formal deed and recording at the registry, and it has tax implications. It can be made with conditions, such as reserving a lifetime usufruct or agreeing on reversion.
Requesting a quote doesn't commit you to anything
- You tell us about your case. It's free.
- We send you the price in writing, within 1 to 3 hours.
- You decide. If it works for you, we start. If not, you delete it with one click and pay nothing.
No one will pressure you. Your information is used only for your case.
Is it for you?
If any of these sounds like you, this procedure is for you.
- For anyone who wants to give an asset during their lifetime to a child, relative, friend or institution
- For anyone who wants to pass on their inheritance early in an orderly way
- For anyone who wants to make a gift while reserving the usufruct or agreeing on conditions such as reversion
What's included and what isn't
Everything clear from the start. No fine print.
Includes
- Advice on the best way to structure the gift, with or without a reserved usufruct, conditions and reversion.
- Drafting of the gift deed and the acceptance.
- Guidance on the tax implications.
- Scheduling the appointment at the Notaría Pública (government notary office).
- Guidance on recording at the registry for real estate.
Does not include
- Payment of any taxes the gift may trigger, which are paid separately.
- The official registry fee for real estate.
- The appraisal of the asset.
- The official notary fee, which is paid separately based on the number of pages.
Add to your procedure
Check it and we include it in your quote. You decide at the end.
What you need
Check off what you already have. You don't need everything to request your quote.
You have 0 of 6.
- The donor's and donee's details, ID (cédula) or tax ID (RIF)
- The asset's title document
- Identification of the asset
- And the conditions you want to agree on, reserved usufruct, reversion, obligations attached to the gift
- The donee's acceptance is essential
- Both sign in person before the notary
How the process works
You do very little. We take care of the rest. The whole process: on average, 3 to 5 business days.
- Step 1
Tell us what you're giving
You tell us what you want to give and under what conditions.
You do this - Step 2
We draft
We advise you and draft the gift deed with the donee's acceptance.
We do this - Step 3
You sign
We schedule the appointment, confirm the cost and taxes, and the donor and donee sign before the notary.
You do this - Result
Done
We hand you the document and, for real estate, handle its recording.
You receive it
We draft the gift deed, the parties review it and we coordinate the signing. For real estate, it's recorded at the registry afterward.
What it costs and how to pay
There are two separate payments, and we want you to see them clearly.
Our fee: we do all the work for you.
The official notary fee. It goes straight to the agency, and we give you the exact amount, with its receipt, before you pay anything.
How you pay: You pay once, when we start. In dollars, in bolívares at the official BCV exchange rate, or with Cashea.
How is your investment calculated?
Your investment has two parts, and we break them down for you separately. Our base professional fee, from $65, for advising you, drafting the gift deed and its acceptance, and handling the authentication
The official fees and taxes, meaning the notary, the registry for real estate and any applicable taxes. Official amounts are paid in bolívares Your lawyer gives you the exact figure before you pay anything, no strings attached.
FAQ
What happens if I give an asset away without documenting it?
There's no real transfer. The asset is still legally yours, with its taxes and risks, and when an inheritance or a debt of yours comes up it can turn into a mess. The gift deed formalizes the transfer.
Can a gift be revoked?
As a rule, a gift cannot be undone. The Civil Code only allows revoking it in specific cases, such as ingratitude of the recipient or the later birth of children to the donor (arts. 1.459 et seq.).
How much does it cost?
The professional fee, from $65, covers the drafting; real estate has to be recorded at the registry, and that official fee is separate. It may trigger taxes; we advise you.
Can I give it away and keep using the asset?
Yes, by reserving the usufruct.
Does the donee have to accept?
Yes, it's essential; without acceptance there's no gift.
About this procedure
A gift (donación) is the act by which one person, the donor, transfers ownership of an asset free of charge and during their lifetime to another, the donee, who must accept it, because the gift has no effect until the donor learns of that acceptance. It's widely used to pass on an inheritance early, protect the family or transfer assets with a purpose in mind, but it has formalities that can't be skipped: when it involves real estate or a valuable asset, it requires a formal document and recording at the registry, and it also has tax implications worth planning for. A gift allows very useful nuances that a good lawyer puts to work in your favor: you can reserve the usufruct, meaning you give away ownership but keep using and enjoying the asset for life, very common between parents and children; you can agree on reversion, so the asset comes back to you if the donee dies before you; and, in cases of the donee's ingratitude, the law even allows the gift to be revoked. We draft the gift deed making all of this clear, advise you on the tax and registration implications, and coordinate the signing before the notary (a public official) and the recording when applicable, so the transfer is solid and does exactly what you want.
Legal framework and important notes
Ley de Registros y Notarías (Registries and Notaries Law) · Código Civil (Civil Code)
- A gift isn't valid until the donee accepts it and the donor knows it; a lot of people miss that detail
- For real estate it requires recording and may trigger taxes, so you need to plan for it
- And make use of the tools the law gives you. A reserved usufruct and reversion let you make a gift without being left unprotected
- Done right, it's the best way to pass on your inheritance early
We guarantee our service, not what the agency decides. If something depends on them, we tell you clearly and in time.
Is your case different?Ask us, message us on WhatsApp or book a free consultation. A real person answers you.