How Long Does it Take to do a 1031 Exchange?

Selling property could come with an impressive profit, but it also drives big tax bills. So there is nothing more winning than a 1031 exchange due to a deferred tax break. Still, 1031 exchanges sometimes turn challenging and have strict requirements to follow. Therefore, to make such deals work, you should be aware of all the pitfalls you might face.

How long does it take to do a 1031 exchange? And what makes it the best practice to avoid paying capital gains tax? This article will explain this and anything related to a 1031 exchange in-depth. So read on to learn about trading your NNN property correctly and in your favor.

The Way a 1031 Exchange Works

The owner typically must pay off capital gains taxes when selling business properties. Plus, a depreciation recapture tax on the building appears over time. However, if the person targets to purchase another investment property with the money from the previous sale, a 1031 exchange will help him save significantly. Switching to the following purchasing real estate transaction prevents you from covering extra taxes practically by deferring tax bills.

The one thing investors should be ready for is that a straightforward 1031 can’t provide any proceeds in the short term. Its fundamental goal poses mainly long-term deferring capital yields taxes. But to get deferred in full, you have to reinvest all the income to the last dollar. For example, if your selling property costs $200 000 and the revenue is $150 000, you are to spend the entire worth of $200 000 to avoid being taxed on the $150 000.

Available 1031 Exchanges

Exchange requirements will vary depending on their type. So be sure to familiarize yourself with each to understand what suits your investment case most.

Simultaneous

It is one of the most common due to its trouble-free exchange process. The new property gets purchased simultaneously with you having sold your existing building. Going for this deal, the owner should already hold identified replacement realty at the time of sale.

Delayed

As the name implies, the person may take some time to find a property to replace for. According to the terms of this exchange type, there are 180 days to perform a replacement immediately after selling the original asset.

Improvement

If you love doing everything to your preferences, this is definitely your cup of tea. The agreement, also known as ‘build-to-suit’ provides building new replacement properties from scratch of the same/higher existing realty value. However, owners must ensure they can cover all the expenses of the new building construction or refit the original one to meet or overtop the current value.

Reverse

Investors who always try to get ahead of time within the real estate market frequently choose reverse exchanges. It means they buy exchanged buildings before selling their initial ones. It aids them in closing deals as swiftly as possible and opting for the following beneficial investment options.

Core Requirements to Take a 1031 Exchange Successfully

Like-Kind Property

The first and essential point while exchanging one piece of realty for another is their like-kindness. It doesn’t denote you must trade your house just for the similar one – it refers to its replacement for another investment property.

Intermediary Presence

A qualified intermediary can perform a 1031 exchange highly reasonably. This procedure works as follows. Such specialists will keep income from the sale of the initial realty on your behalf and use it to enter the deal for purchasing replacement property. Thus, you won’t get taxed on capital gains since the intermediary holds your money. And within the law, you appear without any proceeds from selling your initial building.

Sticking to Timeline

People not well-versed in 1031 exchanges worry the most about deadlines to close the contract. Hence, let’s shed some light on the situation. Sometimes, you run a lightning-fast 1031 exchange if you capture a person with realty who yearns to swap for your property. In that case, selling your old building and acquiring a new one happens simultaneously. But, mostly, this is rare, and the owner needs some time to find a relevant facility to trade for. Then delayed exchanges come into play. They allow weeks or months to perform a replacement property deal after the initial building has sold.

Still, how long does it take to do a 1031 exchange? There are three important dates to consider while carrying out this deal. The first one is when the relinquished realty closes, and the investor starts seeking the option to trade it for. The second date puts 45 days. It indicates that within the given timeline, you must designate a like-kind building to replace and prepare documents for the relevant contract. Finally, your overall exchange operation gets completed in 180 days. Therefore, you should already possess the replacement realty to the law by this time. But be sure to inform your intermediary in writing until calendar 45 about the identified exchanging property. This is a critical moment to get the contract done.

Accessible Swap Only for the Investment Properties

Prior to 2004, you had the opportunity to replace one vacation house with another and even turn it into a permanent residence, still delaying revealing capital proceeds on the realty. Now things are different owing to the altered tax code. Thus, if you wish to trade off your vacation home for another building with a 1031 exchange, you can’t do without renting it out for six months/year to make it a rental real estate. That’s why triple net leased buildings are the best to incorporate 1031 exchange potential for earning equity. Plus, with considerable savings thanks to the deferred capital revenues and rational advance planning, you will doubtless grow your realty holdings and wealth.

Benefits of Tax-Deferred 1031 Exchanges with NNN Properties

In view of the rapid economic rise and realty appreciation in many areas across the country over the past few years, tax-deferred 1031 exchange makes sense. Apart from empowering investors with a tremendous rise in purchasing possibilities, there are plenty of other perks:

Leverage

Investors may raise their down payment and enhance the overall purchasing potential to capture a more valuable replacement realty. This results from using the money they would have paid to the IRS in taxes. Therefore, it is possible to leverage the cash and keep on enlarging wealth via NNN realty investment.

Diversification

1031 exchange policy is highly flexible. It implies you can effortlessly swap one building for a few others, join several real estate pieces into one and reach property everywhere you prefer within the US. For example, the owner can trade off two single-family homes for a retail spa center or take advantage of an emerging area by replacing one building in LA for three properties in California.

Limited Management

Owners with a few rental dwellings often have to handle day-to-day management issues and expensive maintenance, which mainly causes numerous headaches. So a 1031 exchange is the perfect solution. Investors might earn yields and eliminate time and effort by replacing high-upkeep rental spaces and consolidating them into apartment buildings or NNN leased options.

Elevated Proceeds

Rest assured, armoring with 1031 tax-deferred exchanges, you will always have a steady cash flow. For example, by possessing a vacant site of land that brings no income or depreciation profits, the owner can make it a golden vein. The only thing needed is to replace this parcel with a profitable commercial realty.

Is it Possible to Fail a 1031 Exchange?

Unluckily, yes. So before deciding on 1031 exchanges, ensure you are aware of all pitfalls you might experience to avoid them in the future.

Don’t Fit into the Timeline

The exchange gets canceled if the owner hasn’t managed to define a replacement building within the mentioned time. Market conditions are decisive here. It happens that investors are firmly convinced that they can find a like-kind realty, but fail to obtain a suitable option to close the deal. Commonly, it stands as the most widely spread reason. And even when they eventually find the right property, they lack time according to the agreement terms.

Incorrect Estimation

Wrong property estimation may harm the ‘substantially the same’ requirement. Therefore, a 1031 exchange will fall through if you sell the building at a higher value than the one exchanging. That’s why applying to a proficient exchange advisor is vital. Such specialists are licensed and sufficiently experienced to pick up top-notch realty investment strategies to meet your needs, including correct property evaluation. Moreover, exchange experts will guide you through the basic 8 steps of the replacement process to the IRS requirements. They can undoubtedly find NNN lease properties that make you a profit in further.

Omit Intermediary Participation

This is an obligatory step to qualify for capital revenue tax deferring. And closing the deal without a facilitator may cost a fortune. In simple words, it will end in a direct income receipt. So the owner’s profits will be treated as revenue, making them pay capital gains tax from selling.

Related Articles:

Can You Use A 1031 Exchange For A Personal Residence?

How Long Do You Have to Hold Property After a 1031 Exchange?