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Hotel and Motel 1031 Exchange 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.
Why Would I Want to Accomplish a Tax-Deferred Hotel/Motel Exchange?
A.

The main reason for accomplishing a tax-deferred exchange is to defer the income tax you would pay on selling your hotel/motel real estate.

Q.
What Type of Property from My Hotel/Motel Sale Can I Exchange?
A.

You can exchange only tangible property used in your current hotel/motel in California for other tangible property used in your new replacement hotel/motel purchase in California.

Q.
What Can I Not Exchange from the Sale of My Hotel/Motel?
A.

You cannot exchange goodwill, covenants not to compete, accounts receivable, or inventory. Other than in California, you cannot exchange equipment, furniture, computers, beds, televisions, washers, dryers, and other equipment.

Q.
Who Determines What Percentage of the Sales Price Is Allocated to Exchangeable Assets or Non-Exchangeable Assets?
A.

Your tax advisor and hotel/motel broker should work with the buyer’s tax advisor and hotel/motel broker to allocate the practice’s sales price between exchangeable and non-exchangeable assets. The allocation will affect your ability to defer taxes by accomplishing an exchange and the buyer’s ability to deduct depreciation on their new hotel/motel.

Q.
Can I Exchange Franchise Rights When I Sell My Hotel/Motel?
A.

No. You cannot exchange franchise rights for other franchise rights when you sell your hotel/motel and do an exchange.

Q.
Can I Exchange a Hotel/Motel for a Building?
A.

You may exchange the portion of your hotel/motel sale that is allocated to real property with other types of real property (commercial buildings, apartment buildings, duplexes, triplexes, Tenancy-in-Common investments, and DSTs); however, other than in California, you cannot exchange equipment, furniture, beds, washers and dryers, and televisions for real property because they are not like-kind assets. The equipment, furniture, beds, washers and dryers, and televisions are tangible property, while a building is considered real property. You cannot exchange tangible property for real property. You can only exchange tangible property for tangible property.

Q.
What Are the Identification Rules for a Hotel/Motel Exchange?
A.

You may identify up to three replacement hotels/motels. Alternatively, you may identify any number of hotels/motels as long as their aggregate fair market value does not exceed 200 percent of the aggregate fair market value of the hotel/motel you relinquished. As a final option, you may identify any number of hotels/motels if you acquire at least 95 percent of the aggregate fair market value of all the identified replacement hotels/motels before the 180-calendar-day period ends.

You must also consider the tangible property transferred with a hotel/motel sale. Suppose the value of the tangible property exceeds 15 percent of the aggregate fair market value of the entire hotel/motel; in that case, the Exchangor must identify the new tangible property as being purchased separately.

Q.
If I Own My Hotel/Motel as a Corporation, Can I Purchase My New Hotel/Motel With a Different Corporation?
A.

No. The same entity selling the hotel/motel must purchase the new hotel/motel to accomplish a hotel/motel exchange.

Q.
What If I Find a New Hotel/Motel to Purchase Before I Sell My Current Hotel/Motel?
A.

If you find a new hotel/motel to purchase before you sell your current hotel/motel, you may accomplish a 1031 reverse hotel/motel exchange. Please see the tab for reverse exchanges for further details on how to do so.

The above information is provided for general information purposes only. You should discuss your actual individual property transaction with your current attorney, certified public accountant, or us.

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We hope you find the above information helpful.

We know you will have questions about your transaction and encourage you to contact us. We will be pleased to assist you.