
1031 Exchanges Were Under Attack – Your Help Made a Difference
Several US government proposals would have eliminated or significantly modified IRC §1031 exchanges. From outright repeal to restrictions on the types of assets that would qualify, this wildly popular (and nearly 100-year-old) investment vehicle was under attack all across Washington.
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You helped save 1031 Exchanges, every person made a difference!
Visit the Federation of Exchange Accommodators Tax Reform website for detailed information about how Section 1031 Like-Kind Exchanges Complement Tax Reform, Add to Growth .
Thank you for contacting your lawmakers through the website, voicing your opposition to the proposals, and letting them know how 1031 exchanges benefit you, your clients, and the American economy.
Learn What the Government’s Proposals Were For 1031 Exchanges
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What Was at Stake
Worst Of All, They were Considering Repeal of IRC §1031
Both the Tax Reform Act of 2014 (introduced in December 2014 as HB1) and the Senate Finance Committee’s “Discussion Draft: Cost Recovery & Accounting” proposed outright repeal of IRC §1031. While HB1 expired and the Senate Finance Committee’s Draft did consider allowing some exchanges similar to IRC §1033, these actions were the most serious threats to 1031 exchanges. Repeal of, or significant restrictions to IRC §1031 would of haves a significant negative effect on the overall economy. In fact, experts predicted a downturn similar to that experienced after “tax reform” in the 1980s.
They Were Looking at Capping the Annual Gain Deferral at $1M
The US Treasury’s 2015 budget also attacked IRC §1031 exchanges. It proposed to place a limit on real property exchanges to $1 million annual gain deferral. Certainly not appearing as significant as outright repeal, this proposal nonetheless could have significantly dampen the investment climate as it would have exposed gains to taxation while the investment was being held. This approach seemed based on the concept that participants in 1031 exchanges were somehow not paying their fair share of taxes. In fact, taxes are paid when the asset is sold, through tax on forgone depreciation, and when the estate is settled.
They Were Proposing to Eliminate Artwork & Collectibles as Eligible Assets
The Obama Adminstration’s 2015 budget as submitted on February 2, 2015 would have remove artwork and collectibles as asset types eligible for inclusion in IRC §1031 exchanges. One could make the case that applying 1031 exchanges to these kinds of assets doesn’t have the positive effect on the economy that real property transactions do. But that would not be true. The positive economic benefits are easy to understand: from art dealers, insurers, and appraisers, to the exchange facilitators themselves, 1031 exchanges are a shot in the arm to the economy.
Thank You for Making Your Voice Heard
For standing up for 1031 exchanges by getting your friends and colleagues involved and telling your elected representatives that 1031 exchanges are good for the economy, and that you wanted them left alone.
By Sharing this Paragraph Via Email and Sending Letters to the FEA, You Made a Difference
Join me and show your support for leaving IRC §1031 unchanged so that it can continue to stimulate the economy and enable investors of all levels to achieve the American Dream. Enlist your friends and colleagues, call your Congressman or Senator. Learn more at the FEA §1031 Tax Reform Website and take action Email Congress via the FEA site.
FEA Letter
Send this letter to all of your clients, referral sources, advisors and colleagues and encourage them to contact their elected representatives TODAY in support of IRC Section 1031.
Download the FEA PDF letter.