December 2016 – Avoid Taxes When Selling Real Estate

Few sections of the Tax Code have as much impact on the real estate investor as Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 (I.R.C. §1031). This allows an investor who is selling business or investment real estate to complete an exchange by purchasing other like-kind property and deferring up to 100% of the taxes otherwise due at the time of sale.

Normally, when you sell property held for investment or business purposes for a greater value than that which you originally paid for it, any gain you realize from the sale will be subject to capital-gains tax. However, a Section 1031 Exchange—also called a tax-deferred exchange— allows you to sell a domestic property (excluding personal use property such as a primary residence or second home) and acquire a domestic repla...