1031 Exchange
IRS form 8824- Like Kind
Exchanges (PDF)
Internal Revenue Code §1031
When you sell your home or a piece of property
you will be taxes on the gain that you get on the sale. That is
unless you
use Section 1031 Exchanges. These Section 1031
Exchanges will allow you to defer the tax that you have to pay for
what could be years.
A Section 1031 Exchange is a tax deferred
exchange that will allow you to not pay tax if it is on property
that is exchanged for investment purposes or business purposes. This
means that you can take part in Section 1031 Exchanges by switching
your property with another property of similar description, these
properties are known as like-kind properties. Once you have switched
these properties you will then be able to defer payment of the
taxes.
The reason that Section 1031 Exchanges
exist is that the gain is not considered realized yet because all
you have done is exchanged properties, you have not actually sold
anything for straight profit yet. This tax deferral does not mean
that you will never have to pay any taxes on your new property, you
will just not have to pay them until you sell it once and for
all.
Section 1031 and its time restrictions
Section 1031 exchanges do not come
without a time limit, there are definite limits to this type of
exchange. For instance the tax payer has only 45 days in order to
find themselves a new property once they have relinquished theirs.
At the 45 day limit he or she will have to identify the property
that they are wanting to acquire.
Another deadline that there is, is the
180 days in which the parties have to complete the entire exchange
transaction. This deadline starts when the first property is
relinquished or when the tax payer federal tax return is due. It
comes down to whichever date comes first that particular
year.
How a reverse exchange will work for you
A reverse exchange is a simple
transaction. In it the Exchange Accommodation Titleholder will take
possession of the title and then hold onto it until the time when
the tax payer finally sells their relinquished property. At this
time the Exchange Accommodation Titleholder and the tax payer switch
the relinquished property and the new property. Then the Exchange
Accommodation Titleholder will own the other property. This holding
of title by the Exchange Accommodation Titleholder cannot continue
for over 180 days.
And if your exchange cannot be completed in the
allotted 180 days…
If your Section 1031 exchange cannot be
completed in the allow 180 days it will not be protected by safe
harbor. If you do need your reverse exchange to last longer than the
180 this can be done if you plan accordingly. If you do choose to
structure the reverse exchange to go beyond 180 days you will lose
the presumptions that go along with safe harbor.
It is possible to identify more than one
property
It is possible for you to
identify more than one property within the 45 day limit but how many
can you identify? There are some regulations that need to be
met. For instance there is what is known as a 3 property
rule. This is the rule that allows for the tax payer to
identify up to three properties. When making use of the 3 property
rule you will not have to worry about the value of the
properties.
Another rule that exists is
the 200% rule this rule allows you to identify as many properties as
you want to but you will have to take into consideration their
value. Their combined value cannot exceed twice the value of your
relinquished property. The last rule is the 95% rule and with this
rule you will also be able to identify however many properties that
you wish to but the aggregate value at the end of the final
replacement properties must be equal to or at least 95% of all the
identified properties.
You need not meet all of these
rules obviously you must meet only one.
After 45 days
It can be difficult to find and identify
your replacement property in the 45 day time limit that is set out
just as it can be hard to complete the exchange transaction in the
180 days that you have. No matter how hard these deadlines are to
deal with they are something that you will have to deal with. There
are no extensions available to anyone, no matter the
circumstances.
If you cannot find your replacement
property within 45 days or close the exchange within 180 your
exchange will not be completed, it will fail. If this happens to
your property you will not be able to take advantage of tax
deferral, you will have to pay all of the taxes right away on the
sale of your relinquished property.
What do I need to take part in a valid
exchange?
There are several factors that
must be present if you want to take part in a valid exchange. For
instance you will have to have qualifying property. Not all property
can be exchanged according to Section 1031. These properties are
properties that are held only for sale, your home residence, stocks,
inventories, bonds, notes and other securities among others.
If your property is not excluded from Section 1031 then you can take
part in tax deferred exchanges.
You will also need to have
proper purpose. This means that the property that you are exchanging
must be of like kind and they need to be used for productive
reasons, like business and/or investment. You cannot exchange the
property and then sell immediately, if this is your intent then your
property will not qualify for an exchange. Like kind is a simple
concept and it means that the property that you are trading must be
similar. It cannot vary too much in size and it cannot be in
different countries. There is also an exchange requirement. You
cannot exchange property for money, it must be fore another like
kind of property
About the Qualified Intermediary
The Qualified Intermediary that you work
with will most likely not actually take title of either one of the
properties. The properties will be deeded straight to the main
parties involved in the exchange transaction just as if you were
buying and selling the properties in the normal way.
Your interests may be signed over to the
Qualified Intermediary but nothing is in their name. The Qualified
Intermediary will simply tell the other party to deed the property
to you.
Does one need to have a Qualified
Intermediary?
If you are taking part in any property
exchanges like those in Section 1031 you will need to have a
Qualified Intermediary. It is the Qualified Intermediary that
facilities these types of tax deferred exchanges according to the
rules set out in Section 1031. These Qualified Intermediaries are
independent parties who cannot be the tax payer.
There are several jobs that the Qualified
Intermediary will have to carry out when conducting one of these
exchanges. First of all the Qualified Intermediary will have to have
a written agreement with the tax payer. This written agreement will
state that it is the Qualified Intermediary that will acquire the
property from the tax payer in order to then transfer it over to the
new buyer.
It is also the Qualified Intermediary
that will hold the proceeds from the sales. This is done in order to
protect the funds from the tax payer and it keeps this tax payer
from having any form of constructive receipt of said funds. And last
but not least it is also the Qualified Intermediary that will
acquire the replacement property for the tax payer. The Qualified
Intermediary will then hand it over to the tax payer and the
exchange transaction can then be completed.
It is essential that you have a Qualified
Intermediary. A Qualified Intermediary is the person that is keeping
everything safe for all parties involved in the exchange
transaction. It is the Qualified Intermediary that acts as the safe
harbor for the tax payer.
The Section 1031 exchange is not
considered completed until the tax payer finally has control of the
money from the sale of his or her relinquished property. This
control is also called constructive receipt.
It is only when the tax payer has met the
requirements set up by the IRS that they will be able to get control
of this money. The money is first handed over to the Qualified
Intermediary and then the Qualified Intermediary will then use it to
acquire the new property. It is at this time that the Qualified
Intermediary will give the money to the closing agent, directly.
This is the safest way for the transaction to take place.
Converting the replacement property
Many people involved in property
exchanges wonder if they are ever allowed to convert it into their
home property. You can turn this replacement property into your
primary residence or even into a vacations home for you and your
family but in order to do this you will have to meet the holding
requirements found in Section 1031. While Section 1031 does not
state specific time periods of holding most experts will agree that
you should wait at least one year before even attempting to convert
it into a primary residence. When it comes to the tax man it is far
better to be safe than sorry.
What you need in order to identify your replacement
property the right way
When it comes to your
replacement property there are some requirements that must be met.
The first thing that you need to do when you have chosen your
replacement property is to identify it is writing. You will have to
sign this written identification and deliver it to another party of
the exchange transaction, one who is not a disqualified person or
one who has any relationship to you, the tax payer. This means that
this person cannot be a blood relative, your lawyer, your banker or
real estate agent. If these people have not been acting for you in
that capacity for over 2 years then they may be eligible to be this
third party.
Realized gain vs. recognized gain
The difference between
realized gain and recognized gain is simple. With realized gain you
are looking at the increase in ones financial position due to this
exchange whereas the recognized gain is the amount of taxable gain.
The realized gain is what the tax will be paid on in a regular sale.
You will find that recognized gain is lesser than the amount of
realized or net boot that has been received.
How to defer taxable gain
If you are wanting to defer your taxable
gain there are some rules that you will have to follow when it comes
to Section 1031. These are simple and easy to understand and they
must be adhered to in order to have a valid exchange.
First of all the property that you are
acquiring, the replacement property needs to be at least equal to or
even greater than the property that you are giving in exchange and
the equity that is in the new property must also be at least equal
to that in the old property.
The debt on the new property must be
equal to or greater than that on the old as well and the entire net
proceeds from the sale of the relinquished property must be used in
order for you to get the new property.
These are important points that you need
to know in order to make sure that you have exchanged your property
properly. That is the only way for you to defer your taxable
gain.
Taking money out of the exchange account
There are some regulations that concern
when and how you can money out of the exchange account and it is
best for you to familiarize yourself with these regulations before
you try to take the money. You must follow the regulations if
you want to successfully withdraw money from the exchange account
once it has been deposited.
You, the taxpayer will not be bale to get
any of this money until the entire exchange has been completed
according to procedure. If it is cash that you want to receive, at
least in part, then you will have to get this cash before the funds
get deposited into the hands of the Qualified Intermediary. Once the
money has been deposited with them you will not be able to get it in
cash.
Know when it is too late for a tax deferred
exchange
It is important for those considering a
tax deferred exchange to know when they are eligible for one. It is
not too late for one to take part in a tax deferred exchange until
the title or the benefits and burdens of the property have been
handed over to another. If you have not done this yet you can take
part in a tax deferred exchange even if you have signed a contract
in order to sell your current property.
If on the other hand closing has already
occurred you will not be able to start the exchange process, Section
1031 is lost to you this time, no mater whether you have cashed the
final check or not.
Is there more than one type of exchange?
There is more than one type of
exchange that you can use in your investment strategies. These
exchanges can be put to work for you with ease, all you need to know
are what they are.
A build to Suit exchange is
sometimes called an Improvement or Construction exchange and it is a
great option if you are planning to build on a piece of property.
You will exchange property and then be able to build on the new one
using the proceeds from the exchange
A Simultaneous exchange is a
common form of exchange and in this type you will be exchanging
properties with another at the same time. A delayed exchange on the
other hand is the most common type of exchange and it is only
slightly more complicated. In this form of exchange the properties
will not be switched at the same time, there will be a time
difference. One will be acquired by one party and after some time,
not long, the other will be acquired. There are some rules and
regulations concerning the amount of time that can be in between
these transactions and they are found in the Treasury
Regulations.
If you are taking part in a
reverse exchange then you will be getting the new property before
you give over the current one. There are laws that govern these
transactions and those involved are safe under the IRS safe harbor
laws.
Boot is…
If you have received property in an
exchange that is not like kind to the property that you are
exchanging then you have received boot. Boot can be cash and or
mortgage boot. Realized gain can be recognized in relation to the
net boot that has been received.
Boot netting
There are some rule that concern boot
netting such as the fact that boot that has been paid can offset the
boot that has been received. Also cash boot that has been paid can
also offset any of the mortgage boot received, which is great debt
relief. And when you have paid mortgage boot this will also offset
any mortgage boot received and the mortgage boot paid does not
offset any cash boot that you have received during the
transaction.
Cash boot is…
If you receive boot as the tax payer you
are receiving any boot that is not mortgage boot. Cash boot does not
have to be actual cash it can also be other property.
Mortgage boot is…
Any liabilities that are
assumed by or given up by the tax payer are considered to be
mortgage boot. When and if you put debt onto your new replacement
property you will be paying mortgage boot. The same thing happens
when you assume debt on the replacement property.
You will be getting mortgage
boot when you get relieved of the debt on this property. Any debt
relief portion of the property is taxable unless it has been offset
when it is netted against all other boot in the
transaction.
Limitations of Section 1031
Section 1031 is not strictly limited to
real estate. You can use any property that is held for business
purposes or trade or investment purposes. It boils down to whether
the property is being held for productive use or not, as long as it
is then it can be used in the tax deferred exchange. The majority of
Section 1031 exchanges are multi asset exchanges. With these types
of exchanges you will exchange property as well as personal
property.
Should you sell outright or exchange?
Knowing whether it is better
for you to sell your property outright or exchange it for a like
kind property is a serious decision and one that can have many
repercussions. If you make use of Section 1031 Exchanges you will be
able to defer your taxes indefinitely. This means that you will not
have to pay your taxes until you do sell the property outright. If
you exchange properties again you will get these tax deferred as
well. You do not have to pay the taxes until you have made a money
gain.
Deferring the tax can be an
effective investment tool because you will be able to use this saved
money for your other investments. It is like getting a loan. You
still have great property, one that you may be able to use better
than the last one and the money you save in taxes can be used to
make even more money. It is important to note that the gain from
depreciation recapture is postponed.
Section 1031 also allows you
to get rid of the properties that you have no use for while
acquiring ones that are much more useful. This new allocation of
investments can not only save you money but also make you much more
and all without having to pay any
taxes.
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