1031Exchange
policy allows you to exchange a piece of investment property to similar
kind of investment property without paying capital gain tax. This is
really important to know if you are investing in real estate because
paying less tax means more money on your side. Of course, you pay capital
gain tax when you sell the property and not investing it to another
property. But if you keep exchanging it, you won't have to pay tax until
you sell. Since there is more money on your side, you can exchanging
it for a little bigger property each time and amount of money will compound
faster than paying tax each time. Without having to pay capital gain
taxes generates far more profit on your investment. You obey the law
but the law is working on your side.
All
US properties are considered to be "like kind" as long as
it is a investment purpose. This means you can exchange a condominium
complex for office building, a condo for a house etc. Residential and
vacation homes are not investment properties. Foreign properties are
not also considered to be exchanged with US property.
In
order for 1031 exchange to work, the seller has to hire accommodator
to do the transaction of exchanging property. The law is seller can
not have control of funds for transaction, otherwise the tax deferral
is not applied. What it means is that if A sells property to B, B can
not just transfer money to A, B has to go through accomodator. The accommodator
usually holds the money in escrow
until A finds another property to exchange. In case escrow period is
long and seller receives interest from it, IRS can not void tax deferral.
When
exchanging property A should find property within 45 days from the sale
date. The properties doesn't have to be one but upto three are allowed.
The actual purchase of the property should be made within 180 days from
the sale date. The new property value shouldn't be more than 200% of
old property. If you don't find and purchase the property within specified
time, you have to pay capital gain tax on the old property. Also, you
don't have to hold the property for a specific time to receive 1031
exchange tax benefit, the property can be traded quickly.
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