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Most investors sell one property and simply replace it with another one. Occasionally, however, an investor wants to buy a number of new properties to complete their exchange. This can make the exchange complicated.

The identification rules of a 1031 exchange provide that you can identify three properties without any limitations. In other words, you could sell your Old Property for $100,000 and identify three new properties for $10,000,000 each, for a total of $30,000,000. This is OK.

If you identify more than three properties, however, the IRS rules change. In this case, the rules require that the total combined purchase price of everything on your list can not exceed twice the selling price of your Old Property. So now, continuing our example, if you identify four or more properties, the total combined purchase price of all of the properties on your list can not exceed $200,000 (i.e., $100,000 times 2).

In simple terms, a 1031 exchange moves the gain from the sale of an old investment property into the purchase of a new investment property. By moving the gain into a new property, you defer paying tax on that gain into the future.

For example, suppose Jane Doe sells her rental house for $200,000. She bought it five years ago for $150,000. Now using a 1031 exchange, she buys another investment property for $200,000. By following the IRS’s requirements, she is able to transfer all her gain into her new property instead of paying taxes on the sale.

Since the most recent real estate boom, people have become more aware of 1031 exchanges than ever before. Even with this increased awareness, there are still some prevalent misconceptions about this specific section of the tax code. As a 1031 exchange consultant, I hear these misconceptions everyday. Here are the most frequent three I hear:

A 1031 exchange is a technique that investors commonly use to transfer property tax-free. However, our sophisticated investors are using 1031 exchanges to transfer large amounts of wealth, tax-free to their children.

This is how it works:

Mom and Dad own a building that is worth $100,000 and is free and clear. Finding a new building worth $150,000 the sell their old building and use a 1031 exchange to buy an undivided two-thirds interest in the new building for cash. Their children buy the other undivided one-third interest.

A year or two later they sell the building for $250,000 of which $166,667 is the parents’ two-thirds share with the balance of $83,333 belonging to the children. Both the parents and the children do 1031 exchanges and buy a new property for $400,000 of which $166,667 (or 42 percent) is the parents, and the balance of $233,333 (or 58 percent) belongs to the children.

Saving tax money can be a complicated process. Although confusing, understanding IRS Code Section 1031 is worth it! 1031 exchanges can provide significant savings on capital gain taxes.

An exchange connects the sale of an old property and the purchase of a new property to postpone taxes. Exchanges are great for investors who are selling investment property that has increased in value or has been depreciated for tax purposes.

Unfortunately, legal and tax experts are oftentimes confused about these IRS rules. Much of the confusion comes from the relief (payoff) and replacement of mortgage debt on exchange properties.

The common misunderstanding about debt is that the investor must replace 100% of the debt held in the old property by taking on an equal amount of debt against the new property. This is incorrect. The solution lies in a thorough understanding of two tax themes addressed in The Code – taxable cash and taxable debt relief.