Thanks to IRC 1031, a properly structured exchange allows an investor to sell a property,to reinvest the proceeds in a new property and to defer all capital gain taxes. IRC 1031 (a)(1) states:
"No gain or loss shall be recognized on the exchange of property held for productive use in a trade or business or for investment, if such property is exchanged solely for property of like-kind which is to be held either for productive use in a trade or business or for investment."_________________________________________________________________________________
To understand the powerful protection an exchange offers, consider the following example:
As the above example demonstrates, exchanges protect investors from capital gain taxes as well as facilitating significant portfolio growth and increased return on investment. In order to access the full potential of these benefits, it is crucial to have a comprehensive knowledge of the exchange process and the IRC. For instance, an accurate understanding of the key term like-kind - often mistakenly thought to mean the same exact types of property - can reveal possibilities that might have been dismissed or overlooked. API is your resource to obtain accurate and thorough information about the entire exchange process.
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Taxpayers nationwide are able to acquire better performing properties or meet other investment objectives by under-standing the great variety of properties that can be exchanged under Internal Revenue Code Section 1031. There are, however, some types of assets that do not qualify for non-recognition treatment, such as:
Generally the IRS considers property held primarily for any disposition as falling into the category of property held primarily for sale. [Rev Rul 75-292, 1975-2 CB 333; Wagnesen v. Comm., 74 TC 653 (1980)].
See Asset Preservation's flyer titled "Property Held for Sale" for a more exhaustive list of factors the IRS reviews to determine if a taxpayer is holding a property primarily for sale.
Although a partnership or limited liability company (LLC) can perform an exchange at the entity level, the individual partnership interest or LLC member interest is excluded. However, an interest in a partnership that has made a valid election under IRC 761(a), to be excluded from the application of subchapter K, is treated as an interest in each of the assets of the partnership and not as an interest in a partnership. A thorough discussion is beyond the scope of this article and taxpayers should get guidance from their tax and/orlegal advisors regarding timing and other issues involving exchanges where property has been held in a partnership or LLC.
The chose in action exclusion is vague due to the difficulty in defining the term itself and it has rarely been used to disallow non-recognition treatment in an exchange. Some major league player contracts have been considered a chose in action and denied exchange treatment. [Ltr Rul 8453034; Heltzer v. Comm., TC Memo 1991-404, 62 TCM 518, 537]