What qualifies for a 1031 exchange?

Only real estate held for investment or business use. Personal residences and inventory don't qualify. Since 2018, equipment and other personal property no longer qualify either — real estate only.

What are the 45-day and 180-day rules?

From the date you close on the sale of the relinquished property, you have 45 days to identify replacement property and 180 days to close on it. Both windows are absolute — no extensions for weekends, holidays, or unforeseen circumstances.

Do I have to reinvest 100% of the sale proceeds?

To fully defer tax, the replacement property must be of equal or greater value AND you must reinvest all the cash from the sale. Any 'boot' (cash kept or relief from debt) is taxable in the year of exchange.

Does California honor 1031 exchanges?

Yes, for federal-conforming purposes — but California requires Form 3840 to track deferred gains on out-of-state replacement properties, ensuring eventual recapture if the property is later sold without a follow-up California 1031.

Free Calculator

1031 Exchange Calculator

Estimate the federal capital gains tax, §1250 depreciation recapture, NIIT, and state tax you can defer by exchanging one investment property for another.

Your situation

What you'd owe in capital gains and depreciation recapture if you sold today — and the same number is what a 1031 exchange defers.

Sale price (net of selling costs)$1,500,000

Adjusted basis (original cost + improvements − depreciation)$700,000

Accumulated depreciation taken to date$250,000

State capital gains tax rate9.3%

CA ~9.3%, NY ~10.9%, TX/FL/WA 0%. Defaults to CA.

Married filing jointly (raises NIIT threshold to $250K)

Tax you can defer with a 1031

$225,301

stays invested in the replacement property instead of going to the IRS and state

Realized gain on sale$800,000

Depreciation recapture (25% federal)$62,500

Federal long-term capital gain$77,001

Net Investment Income Tax (3.8%)$11,400

State tax (9.3%)$74,400

Total tax deferred$225,301

Read this carefully

1031 deferral is not elimination. The deferred gain rolls into the replacement property's basis and is owed when that property eventually sells outside an exchange. 45-day identification and 180-day closing windows are absolute. Talk to a partner.

Pair this with cost segregation

A 1031 exchange defers tax. Cost segregation on the replacement property pulls future depreciation forward, often offsetting other income immediately. The combination is the highest-leverage tax strategy in real-estate investing.

See Cost Segregation Calculator Talk to a partner