Question

Assume the facts in part (a) except the adjusted basis of Rodriquez's original parcel of land is $65,000 and the fair market value of both parcels of land is $57,000. What are Rodriquez's realized and recognized gain or loss on the sale of real estate

Answer 1

A 1031 Exchange allows a taxpayer like Rodriguez to temporarily differ any capital gains when they sell a property and immediately purchase another property using the proceeds from the sale. In the first part of the question, Rodriguez sold a property that had a basis of $57,000 for $65,000, and immediately but another property worth $65,000. That means that he doesn't need to immediately pay any taxes for the $8,000 gain.

But if the situation is the opposite. Instead of making a gain, Rodriguez lost money, then he should immediately record the $8,000 loss in order to lower his taxes. The less taxes you pay, the better. The whole idea of the 1031 Exchange is to defer taxes that you owe, not to defer losses that will lower your taxes.