We've been reading countless daily internet articles explaining the benefits and the whys of an IRS 1031 Exchange. The reasons why someone should do a 1031 Exchange are quite simple, the taxpayer wants to defer their capital gains tax. But what about how? How do you do a 1031 Exchange?
1. Own Qualified Real Estate.
Make sure you have real estate that qualifies for 1031 Exchange. Make sure you or your business owns either investment real estate, such as land. Or, real estate held for business use, such as a rental property or an office complex. Careful consideration of your property must be taken into account. Do not be fooled by individuals telling you you can 1031 Exchange your primary residence or property you purchased yesterday with the intent to flip tomorrow. This is a horrible trap. Consult your CPA for more information.
2. Find a buyer
Realty Exchangers has two very popular venues for finding buyers of your property and finding 1031 Exchange pros who know how to make all happen. Visit our 1031 Exchange Property Search Engine to find looking at
http://www.exchangersclearinghouse.com. You can also look up a local professional with our 1031 Exchange Pro Directory located at
http://www.realtyexchangers.com/1031_Exchange/index.html. Both of these services are free!
3. Accept the and write up a purchase and sale agreement.
Work with your buyer and attorney to make sure all parties are happy with the offer and that all contingencies are considered. Be sure to inform the buyer that this is a 1031 Exchange.
4. Contact a closing company.
Finding the right closing/title company can be a chore. Your attorney or real estate agent may have some ideas of which closing company to use, better to find one that knows how to handle 1031 Exchanges.
5. Setup a 1031 Exchange with a Qualified Intermediary. (QI)
Choosing your 1031 Exchange QI is important. You need one with experience and integrity. Realty Exchangers has been providing 1031 Exchange QI services since 1989. In over 20 years, we helped thousands of tax payers defer their capital gains tax. We are the experts at making the transaction simple and easy.
6. Close sale on your property and transfer your proceeds into your QI's trust.
When you sale closes, you closing company is directed to transfer the proceeds from your 1031 exchange into your QI's trust account. Here the funds will sit while you search for your 1031 Exchange Replacement Property.
7. Know your 45 day and 180 day deadlines.
Soon as the sale closes on your Relinquished Property the clock starts ticking on securing qualified Replacement Properties.
45 day Identification Period. The IRS stipulates that you have 45 days to officially "Identify" your replacement properties. This must be done in writing and Realty Exchangers provides you with the forms necessary.
180 Closing Deadline. The IRS also stipulates that you have 180 to close sale on ALL of your identified replacement properties.
8. Identify your Replacement Properties.
Use the same web site tools mentioned in number 2 above. These must be of like-kind, meaning they must follow the same qualifications test as mention in step 1. The number of Replacement Properties you can chose, depends on which rules you want to follow. The 3 property rule, the 200% rule or the 95% rule. The most popular is the 3 property rule because it is the easiest for most people to understand.
9. Close on your Replacement Properties.
Essentially, this step is the same as steps 3 and 4, mentioned above.
That is all there is to it.
Realty Exchangers takes pride in keeping this process as clean and simple as possible. Only when you attempt to circumvent the above steps do you invite trouble with your 1031 Exchange. You have two options with the IRS. Pass or Fail. If you follow the rules, your Exchange will pass and you will defer your capital gains. Failure to follow the rules or attempts to circumvent the process creates issues that can force your Exchange to collapse.
And always, if you have questions, the best option is to call Realty Exchangers at 800-570-1031.
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