The short version. A 1031 exchange ends on the earlier of day 180 or the due date, including extensions, of your tax return for the year of the sale (Internal Revenue Code Section 1031(a)(3)(B)). For a calendar-year individual, any sale after October 17, 2026 reaches day 180 after the April 15, 2027 return due date. If that return is not extended, the exchange period ends on April 15, and replacement property received after that date does not qualify. Extending the return restores the full 180 days. This is general information, not tax or legal advice; confirm your dates with your CPA and qualified intermediary.
Enter your sale date and return due date in the calculator for your 1031 exchange 45 day and 180 day deadlines, with whichever closing date comes first.
The Rule: The Earlier of Day 180 or Your Return Due Date
Section 1031(a)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code sets two limits on a delayed exchange. Replacement property must be identified within 45 days after you transfer the relinquished property, and it must be received by the earlier of 180 days after the transfer or the due date, determined with regard to extension, of your return for the tax year of the transfer. Treasury Regulation 1.1031(k)-1(b)(2)(ii) defines the exchange period the same way, ending at midnight on the earlier date.
A calendar-year individual’s return is due April 15 of the following year (Internal Revenue Code Section 6072(a)). For a calendar-year individual who sells on or before October 17, 2026, day 180 falls on or before April 15, 2027, so the return due date does not shorten the exchange period. For a sale after October 17, 2026, day 180 falls after April 15, 2027, and the return due date ends the exchange period first unless the return is extended.
2026 Sales: What You Lose Without an Extension
| Sale date | Day 45 | Day 180 | Exchange ends if the return is not extended | Days lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | Mar 30, 2027 | Mar 30, 2027 | 0 |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 1, 2026 | Apr 15, 2027 | Apr 15, 2027 | 0 |
| Oct 18, 2026 | Dec 2, 2026 | Apr 16, 2027 | Apr 15, 2027 | 1 |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Dec 30, 2026 | May 14, 2027 | Apr 15, 2027 | 29 |
| Dec 15, 2026 | Jan 29, 2027 | Jun 13, 2027 | Apr 15, 2027 | 59 |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Feb 14, 2027 | Jun 29, 2027 | Apr 15, 2027 | 75 |
Days counted from the date the relinquished property is transferred (Treasury Regulation 1.1031(k)-1(b)(2)). Assumes a calendar-year individual whose 2026 return is not extended. Your qualified intermediary confirms your exact dates. Day 45 for the Oct 1 sale, day 180 for the Dec 15 sale and day 45 for the Dec 31 sale fall on a Sunday; the regulation ends each period at midnight on the 45th or 180th day and its text provides no weekend extension. Confirm with your qualified intermediary.
Partnerships and S Corporations Hit the Limit Earlier
The return that counts belongs to the taxpayer making the exchange. A calendar-year partnership, including an LLC taxed as a partnership, or S corporation files its return by the 15th day of the third month after year end (Internal Revenue Code Section 6072(b)), which is March 15, 2027 for the 2026 tax year. Day 180 lands after March 15, 2027 for any sale after September 16, 2026, so a calendar-year partnership or S corporation that sold after September 16, 2026 is affected. A November 15, 2026 sale by a partnership that does not extend its return loses 60 days.
A single-member LLC that is disregarded for federal tax purposes is treated as part of its owner (Treasury Regulation 301.7701-2(a)), so the owner’s return due date applies: April 15 for an individual owner, or the owner’s own due date if the owner is a partnership or corporation. Ask your CPA which return governs your exchange.
The Fix: Extend the Return
Because the statute measures the due date with regard to extension, extending the return moves the due date past day 180 and restores the full exchange period. Individuals request an automatic six-month extension on Form 4868 (Treasury Regulation 1.6081-4), which moves the calendar-year due date to October 15. Partnerships, S corporations and other entities request theirs on Form 7004. Either request is generally due by the original due date of the return (Treasury Regulation 1.6081-4(b)(2); Instructions for Form 7004). An extension gives more time to file, not more time to pay: tax owed for the year is still due by the original date, as the Form 4868 instructions explain.
Disaster Postponements Are Separate
The IRS can postpone the 45-day and 180-day deadlines for taxpayers affected by a federally declared disaster or certain other events under Internal Revenue Code Section 7508A, and Revenue Procedure 2018-58 lists the exchange deadlines such relief can cover. Under Section 17 of Revenue Procedure 2018-58, relief can also reach a transferor who is not named in an IRS relief announcement but has difficulty meeting a deadline because of the disaster, for example when the relinquished or replacement property is in the covered disaster area, or the principal place of business of the qualified intermediary, title insurance company or lender is located there. A postponement cannot run past the due date, including extensions, of your return for the year of the transfer. Check the IRS disaster relief announcements and confirm with your qualified intermediary.
Steps to Discuss If You Sold After October 17
- The extension deadline: an extension request is generally due by the original return due date, April 15, 2027 for a calendar-year individual (Form 4868) or March 15, 2027 for a calendar-year partnership or S corporation (Form 7004). Discuss timing with your CPA.
- Three dates to track: day 45, day 180 and your return due date. Your qualified intermediary can confirm each one.
- A backup: after day 45, only property you identified in a signed written notice by then, or property you received within the 45 days, can be treated as like-kind replacement property (Internal Revenue Code Section 1031(a)(3)(A); Treasury Regulation 1.1031(k)-1(c)), so a second or third candidate can protect the exchange if the first falls through. Exchange buyers often discuss naming a backup with their qualified intermediary.
- The property and the window: current 1031 exchange properties for sale can be filtered by price band, remaining lease term and state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get an extension on a 1031 exchange?
The 45-day and 180-day limits are set by Internal Revenue Code Section 1031(a)(3). Outside IRS disaster postponements under Section 7508A, the practical step is extending your tax return, which keeps the return due date from ending the exchange before day 180.
Does extending my return delay the tax I owe?
No. An extension gives more time to file, not more time to pay. Tax owed for the year is still due by the original due date, as the Form 4868 instructions explain. Your CPA can estimate any payment due with the extension.
Does the return due date affect the 45-day deadline?
No. The 45-day identification period runs from the transfer date under Section 1031(a)(3)(A). The return due date only limits the 180-day exchange period under Section 1031(a)(3)(B).
Which return due date applies to an LLC?
It depends on how the LLC is taxed. An LLC taxed as a partnership files its own return, due March 15 for a calendar year (Section 6072(b)). A single-member LLC disregarded for federal tax purposes is treated as part of its owner, so the owner’s return due date applies. Confirm with your CPA.
More on the deadlines: the 45-day identification rule, the three identification rules compared, the 1031 deadline calculator and the investment grade 1031 exchange guide. This article is part of Investment Grade Research’s coverage of investment grade net lease for 1031 buyers; for how credit ratings work, see the investment grade guide.
General information, not tax or legal advice. Investment Grade Income Property, LP is a national CRE advisory firm and does not provide tax advice; your CPA, tax attorney and qualified intermediary handle the exchange and tax side. Statutes and regulations read as of October 27, 2026.
