In the field of real estate, a commonly used term is a 1031 Exchange. But what exactly is that? A 1031 Exchange is aptly named after Section 1031 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, which permits the deferral of capital gains tax in certain real estate transactions. Capital gains taxes are owed on the profits from the sale of most investments if they are held for at least one year. Due to the possibility of deferring the tax, there are many requirements in place that must be followed in order to receive the benefit of deferring the capital gains tax.
The first requirements is that a 1031 Exchange can only be used in certain real estate transactions. A 1031 Exchange is only applicable to the sale of real property that is held for productive use in a trade, business or for investment. Furthermore, the replacement property that is purchased also has to be held for productive use in a trade, business or for investment. Therefore, a 1031 Exchange would not be allowed in real estate transactions with property that is used for personal reasons, such as your residence.
The second requirement of a 1031 Exchange is that a qualified intermediary is required to facilitate the transaction by handling the funds. As part of the regulations, you (the owner) are unable to receive or control the funds from the sale of the property in a 1031 Exchange. A qualified intermediary can be a person or a company, however, they cannot be a disqualified person as defined in the Treasury Regulations. The qualified intermediary will take possession of the funds from the sale of your property and hold those funds until they can be transferred to the seller of the replacement property you are purchasing.
The next requirement is that there are certain time periods that must be met to complete the 1031 Exchange. Firstly, you have 45 days from the sale of the property to identify a replacement property. Secondly, you need to conclude the 1031 exchange within 180 days. If you miss any of these deadlines, then the 1031 Exchange will not be complete and you will not receive the tax benefit of deferring the capital gains tax.
Although these are three important requirements of a 1031 Exchange there are still other requirements and technicalities involved with completing a 1031 Exchange. For that reason, if you are considering utilizing a 1031 Exchange it will be helpful to seek the advice of a real estate attorney before selling your property. A real estate attorney will be able to help you navigate through the requirements and technicalities of a 1031 Exchange so that you may benefit from the deferral of capital gains tax. If you have any questions about completing a 1031 Exchange, do not hesitate to reach out to one of our experienced real estate attorneys.