As a real estate investor, you probably are aware of the advantages of a 1031 exchange over outright sale of a property. An exchange defers your capital gains taxes, keeps your money working for you, and helps to build equity and maximize your returns. But 1031 exchanges are allowed not only for the good of the investor; by allowing investors to move their capital to the most advantageous investments, section 1031 stimulates the U.S. economy.

The fact that 1031 exchanges are intended to boost the U.S. economy raises the question of whether one can exchange a property for one located overseas. The short answer is no. The money you save by making a 1031 exchange rather than selling outright is considered a tax deferment, which means that although you are temporarily liberated from capital gains taxes, the U.S. government will still want to collect the money if you sell your property at some point in the future. It is difficult and sometimes impossible for the IRS to collect taxes on the sale of foreign property.

In private letter rulings relating to the U.S. Virgin Islands, the IRS has ruled that a property must be income-producing in order to meet like-kind requirements. This is a more constricted definition of a like-kind exchange than that which is normally applied to exchanges made on properties in the United States, which merely requires that your property be held for the purpose of business, trade or investment.

So if you are planning on exchanging a U.S. property for one located outside of the fifty states (plus Washington D.C.), you would be wise to take a second look at the legal precedents involved to ensure that the property will satisfy all like kind requirements, and if you are uncertain, it might be idea good idea to request a private letter ruling on your particular case.

United States investors can save a lot of money by utilizing a 1031 exchange to defer all of their capital gains tax on the sale of investment property. A 1031 tax exchange is similar to an interest free loan from Uncle Sam!