1031 Exchange Deadline Calculator
Enter your relinquished property's closing date and get both statutory deadlines — identification (day 45) and acquisition (day 180) — with a live countdown and one-click calendar export.
Worked example
Close your sale July 1, 2026 and the clock reads: identification due August 15, 2026 (day 45) and acquisition due December 28, 2026 (day 180). Notice the year-end trap in that example — a sale closing after roughly October 17 pushes day 180 past the April filing deadline, so the exchange only gets its full 180 days if you extend your return. The calculator's calendar export sets alarms a week ahead of each date; your QI should be doing the same.
Work the clock backwards
Winning exchanges treat day 45 as the finish line for shopping, not the start: criteria out before closing, shortlist underwritten in week one, primary under contract by week three, backups identified in writing regardless. That cadence is exactly what our free buyer representation runs for exchange clients — the calculator tells you the dates; the process makes them.
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Methodology & FAQs
How are the 45-day and 180-day deadlines counted?
Calendar days — weekends and holidays included, no extensions for either (the rare exception: federally declared disaster relief). Day zero is the closing date of your relinquished property; identification is due by midnight of day 45, and acquisition by day 180 or your tax-return due date for the year of sale, whichever comes first. That tax-return wrinkle catches Q4 sellers: file an extension or your 180 days can silently shrink.
What officially counts as "identifying" a replacement property?
A written, signed designation delivered by day 45 to your qualified intermediary (or another permitted party who isn't your agent) — unambiguously describing the property, normally by address or legal description. A voicemail to your broker doesn't count; an email to your QI with three addresses does. Most QIs provide a form. Identify backups: you can close on any identified property, and swapping after day 45 is impossible.
How many properties can I identify?
Pick a rule. Three-property rule: up to three candidates, any total value — the standard for NNN buyers. 200% rule: unlimited count as long as combined value stays within twice your sale price — useful for splitting into multiple smaller deals. The exotic 95% rule (identify anything, but then acquire 95% of the total) is a trap for almost everyone. We build lists to survive a primary falling out of contract.
What happens if I miss a deadline?
The exchange fails and the deferred gain becomes taxable in the year of sale — federal capital gains, any depreciation recapture at 25%, state tax, and possibly the 3.8% net investment income tax. There's no appeal process and no do-over. The defense is boring and total: identify early, identify backups, and start the property search before your sale closes, not after the clock starts.
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