Definition of "Tax free exchange"

Transfer of real estate from one taxpayer to another that are exempt from federal income taxes. An example is an exchange of property in which ownership of transferred real estate is still kept. In the year of exchange, there is no recognized gain or loss. However, there is an adjustment to basis of the property received in the transfer, in effect deferring the gain upon future disposition.

1031 Tax Free Exchange

Also called a like-kind exchange. An exchange in which tax benefits are available to real estate owners planning to sell their investment, rental, business or vacation real estate, and reinvest the net proceeds in other real estate.

Real Estate held for these purposes are called like-kind/1031 properties. Property owners may sell like-kind properties and defer taxes on the sale's profits by meeting the requirements of Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 1031 exchange. The purpose of the 1031 exchange is to allow sellers of like-kind property to buy replacement property of like-kind within a specific time period and defer taxes. The deferred profit tax benefit applies despite a time lapse between the sale of the taxpayer's former property and his purchase of replacement property. This sell-now, buy-later situation is called a delayed exchange.

The 1031 exchange applies only to property other than the personal residence or dealer property. Specifically included for exchange are properties used or held for rental income, business purposes, investment, or as vacation homes. Taxwise, investment properties include vacant land held for profit, ground leases and management-free triple net lease. An owner of these qualifying like-kind properties can complete a 1031 exchange, but he must follow the to time constraints.

A 1031 exchange differs from the more informal 1034 tax deferred rollover, which applies to a personal residence and has more lenient deadlines. Unlike a 1034 rollover, a 1031 exchange has different deadlines and other criteria. The replacement property must be acquired before 45-day and 180-day deadlines have run. Note that often, brokers are unable to arrange a nearly simultaneous closing for both legs of an exchange.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

An Option Listing agreement is one of the many specificities of a Listing Agreement. Here’s what happens when the house seller signs an Option Listing: he gives someone (a home buyer, ...

A roof forming a triangle from the eaves to the ridge of the roof. ...

Conversion of a rental apartment house to individual condominium ownership of a portion of the minimum ownership of a portion of the building. Often, the tenant is given an opportunity to ...

Lender (such as a bank) that has the property of the borrower as collateral (security, lien). If the mortgage is not paid, the property may be sold to make payment on the outstanding ...

Geographic location where a court action and trial takes place. The legal proceedings should occur in the place where jurisdiction applies. A "change of venue" may occur in a criminal ...

Timber wood situated on the exteriors of a loading deck to safeguard it from damage resulting when trucks unload and load. ...

A recorded plat defines a subdivision map that you have to file in the county recorder’s office. It will show the location and boundaries of your parcels of land. Knowing this, we can ...

In real estate, Attractive Nuisance is how insurance companies classify something that is inherently dangerous and particularly enticing to children. A hazard located within a property that ...

Interest rate on a mortgage that moves up or down based on some variable such as an index of lender's cost of funds, inflation rate, or prime rate. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions