What is a conservation easement?

A permanent restriction on land use, donated to a qualified land trust. The trust holds the restriction in perpetuity; the landowner retains compatible uses. The donation creates a charitable deduction equal to the diminished land value.

How much can I deduct?

Equal to the diminished value of the land caused by the easement (determined by qualified appraisal). Typically 30-70% of land value depending on property. Deduction subject to AGI limits (50% for most donors, 30% for landowner-developers). Excess carries forward 15 years.

Will the IRS audit me?

Conservation easements have been an audit focus. Legitimate easements with quality engineering, MAI-credentialed appraiser, and reputable land trust hold up. We use the highest-quality service providers to minimize audit risk.

Can I still use my land?

Yes, in ways compatible with the easement. Typically: agriculture, ranching, residential use within limits, hunting and fishing. Restricted: development, subdivision, commercial operations not present at easement. Each easement is custom-designed.

Does the easement run with the land?

Yes, in perpetuity. All future owners are bound by the same restrictions. The land trust monitors compliance and can enforce against violations.

What about syndicated conservation easements?

Syndicated easements (where investors buy into a partnership that donates an easement) have been heavily targeted by the IRS. Many syndicated easements have been disallowed. We do not work on syndicated easements; only direct landowner donations with legitimate conservation value.

What does Pay Equity Audit involve?

This page covers Pay Equity Audit — including what it is, who needs it, how to file or apply, typical costs, deadlines, and how File.Business handles it for you end-to-end.

How much does Pay Equity Audit cost with File.Business?

Pricing is shown on this page. We always disclose state filing fees separately from our service fee, with no surprise add-ons at checkout.

How long does Pay Equity Audit take?

Turnaround depends on the state agency. Standard processing typically takes a few business days; rush options are available where the agency offers expedited service.

Is this service available in all 50 states?

File.Business handles filings across all 50 US states and DC. State-specific rules, fees, and forms are built into the workflow so you don't have to research them yourself.

Home/People & payroll/Pay Equity Audit

People & payroll

EPA · Title VII · state laws

Pay Equity Audit. Find gaps, fix them, prove it.

The federal Equal Pay Act + Title VII + state laws (California Fair Pay Act, Illinois Equal Pay Act, Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work, NY Equal Pay) all prohibit pay disparities based on gender, race, or other protected class for substantially similar work. The right defense: a privileged statistical audit + remediation. We run a regression-based audit controlling for legitimate factors (level, tenure, performance, geography), identify unexplained disparities, recommend adjustments, and document the process in a defensible report.

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All 50 states + DC 60-day money-back SOC 2 Type II

⚖

Pay Equity Audit

Privileged · under counsel direction

Mar 14

Headcount

284

12 cohorts

Gaps found

2 material

Remed. budget

$184K

0.4% payroll

Software Eng L3 · femaleregression vs male peers

n=24 -4.8%

Product Mgr L2 · URMregression vs non-URM peers

n=11 -6.2%

Sales AE · all classesno significant disparity

n=38 -0.4%

Regression controls: lvl, tenure, geo, perf Remediation plan ready

How it works

How we handle Conservation Easement, end-to-end.

A conservation easement is a permanent restriction on the use of land, typically donated to a qualified land trust to preserve the land's natural or open-space character.

Eligibility review

Land must have conservation value: scenic, ecological, historic, open-space, or recreational. We assess whether your land qualifies. Most rural and undeveloped properties do; urban properties rarely.

Land trust selection

Donation must be to a qualified land trust (501(c)(3)). We refer to local and national land trusts (Land Trust Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, regional trusts). They accept the easement and hold the restriction in perpetuity.

Engineering + appraisal

Engineering work documents the conservation value. Qualified appraisal determines diminished land value (the deduction amount). IRS scrutinizes appraisals; we use highly credentialed appraisers with conservation easement experience.

Legal documentation + closing

Easement document recorded with county recorder. Permanent restriction runs with the land. Donor receives appraisal-supported deduction. Coordination with attorney specializing in conservation easements.

What we'll set up for you

A clean handoff, in four steps.

You give us the basics. We handle the state, the IRS, and the compliance clock so you can focus on the business.

01 · Name + Brand

A name that's actually available.

Real-time check against the state register, USPTO trademark database, and matching domains.

02 · State filing

Filed with the Secretary of State.

We submit your Articles, pay the state fee on your behalf, and return the stamped certificate.

03 · Federal IDs

EIN + the right tax setup.

Federal Employer ID with the IRS, plus state tax accounts when your business needs them.

04 · Stay compliant

Registered Agent + deadline tracking.

Your agent on file in every state, with every renewal and annual report tracked in one calendar.

Pricing

Transparent conservation easement pricing.

Government fees pass through at cost. No upsells.

Statistical audit only

$2,499

Quantitative findings

Quantitative audit + report. Includes regression analysis, identified gaps, statistical significance. Excludes remediation plan + counsel review.

Get started

Standard audit + remediation

$3,499

Findings + plan

Statistical audit + remediation plan + budget impact + implementation guide. Attorney-led for privilege protection.

Get started

Audit + litigation defense

$8,499

If suit threatened

Standard + privileged expert report + deposition prep + litigation expert witness. For companies with active EEOC charge or threatened class action.

Get started

FAQ

About the Conservation Easement Service.

What laws require pay equity?

Federal: Equal Pay Act of 1963 (gender), Title VII (race, sex, religion, national origin, color), ADEA (age), ADA (disability). State: California Fair Pay Act + SB 1162, Illinois EPA + reporting, Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work, NY Equal Pay, Washington Equal Pay + Opportunities Act, Oregon Equal Pay. Multi-state employers must satisfy strictest.

Why does attorney direction matter for privilege?

If HR runs audit and finds disparities, findings = business record, discoverable in any future lawsuit. If counsel directs audit (with HR as data source), findings = attorney work product, generally not discoverable. Massive difference in litigation exposure.

What if we find gaps?

Fix them. Targeted adjustments (raises for under-paid employees in protected class), NOT cuts. Document the process: identified gap, control variables tested, decision rationale. Demonstrates good faith if audited later.

How big a gap is too big?

Statistical: anything > 2 standard deviations from zero (95% confidence) suggests something beyond chance. Material: 5%+ gap in pay-band-adjusted terms typically warrants action. Even < 5% gaps often remediated as policy matter.

Do we have to disclose findings?

Generally no - pay equity audit findings are not publicly disclosed (except some state filings for company-aggregate stats). Internal remediation does not require employee notification (though many companies notify affected employees as part of corrective process).

Does this cover salary band transparency / pay range disclosure laws?

Different but related. Colorado, NY, Washington, California require pay-range disclosure in job postings. We can layer compliance + audit work for clients with both needs. Salary band transparency typically precedes / follows pay equity audit.

Bundle & save

Recommended add-ons

Most customers add these to keep their business compliant year-round.

Registered Agent

Most ordered

Required for every registered business entity in every state.

$99 /year Add →

Compliance Monitoring

Best value

Track every annual report, registered agent renewal, and license deadline.

$19 /month Add →

Annual Report Filing

Recommended

Auto-file your state annual report. Never miss a deadline.

$99 /year Add →

Why File.Business

Premium compliance, no service-fee markup.

Trust you can verify

SOC 2 Type II audited platform. 220,000+ businesses served. 60-day money-back on service fees. State fees passed through at cost with no hidden markup. Explicit AUP on restricted industries.

A compliance partner, not a transaction

Most providers go quiet after checkout. We auto-track every annual report, registered agent renewal, and license deadline across your entities. The Business OS dashboard keeps your compliance score visible year-round.

Premium experience competitors cannot match

Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state or federal filings. Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state filings.

I'm starting something

I have a deadline

Something is changing

I need to prove / protect

I serve clients

I run a [industry]

I manage multiple entities

I'm integrating or referring

I want intelligence

I need communications

I run money & people

I operate at scale

I want to learn

I want to compare / calculate

I want to research deeper

I need help

Pay Equity Audit. Find gaps, fix them, prove it.

How we handle Conservation Easement, end-to-end.

Eligibility review

Land trust selection

Engineering + appraisal

Legal documentation + closing

A clean handoff, in four steps.

A name that's actually available.

Filed with the Secretary of State.

EIN + the right tax setup.

Registered Agent + deadline tracking.

Transparent conservation easement pricing.

Statistical audit only

Standard audit + remediation

Audit + litigation defense

About the Conservation Easement Service.

Related services

Business License in Alabama

Convert your Pennsylvania entity to a different structure.

Business License in Oregon

Recommended add-ons

Registered Agent

Compliance Monitoring

Annual Report Filing

Premium compliance, no service-fee markup.

Trust you can verify

A compliance partner, not a transaction

Premium experience competitors cannot match

Start your business in the next 5 minutes.