How the deadlines work
Two clocks, one start date
Both periods start the day your relinquished property closes and run concurrently. By day 45 your written identification of replacement property must be in your qualified intermediary's hands. By day 180 you must have closed on what you identified. Miss either one and the exchange fails: your sale becomes fully taxable in the year it closed.
A worked example: close on July 15, 2026 and your identification deadline is August 29, 2026, with the exchange deadline on January 11, 2027. Note that January date: a late-year sale pushes day 180 past the April filing deadline only if you count from a fall closing, but a sale closing after mid-October ends early at your return due date unless you file an extension.
You can identify up to three properties of any value, any number up to 200% of your sale price, or more if you acquire 95% of what you list. Most exchangers use the three-property rule and fill every slot. Our guide to finding 1031 exchange properties covers a realistic week-by-week plan for the 45-day window.
Beat the clock
The deadline is a sourcing problem
Most failed exchanges fail at identification, not at closing. Forty-five days is a short window to find a property worth owning, and public listing sites are where every other exchanger is looking too. Off-market inventory widens the pool: browse live broker-submitted deals with price, cap rate, and size visible before any NDA.
On the clock already?
Post My ExchangeFAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1Do weekends and holidays count toward the 45 and 180 days?
Yes. Both periods are counted in calendar days, so weekends and holidays count and a deadline that lands on a Sunday is still due that Sunday. Neither period pauses or rolls to the next business day.
Q2Can the 1031 deadlines be extended?
Only by federally declared disaster relief, where the IRS grants postponements to affected taxpayers. There is no hardship, negotiation, or filing-based extension for either deadline.
Q3When does the clock actually start?
On the day the relinquished property closes: the day after closing is day 1. If you sell multiple properties in one exchange, the clock starts with the first closing.
Q4What if my 180th day falls after my tax return is due?
The exchange period ends at the earlier of 180 days or the due date of your tax return for the year of the sale. If you sell late in the year, file an extension so you keep the full 180 days.
More 1031 tools
Keep planning your exchange
1031 exchange calculator
The full deferral model: capital gain, taxable boot, and estimated federal tax deferred.
1031 boot calculator
Cash boot, mortgage boot, and what it takes to fully defer your gain.
Depreciation recapture calculator
The 25% recapture bill on a taxable sale, and what a 1031 exchange defers.
This calculator is for planning, not tax advice. Confirm your dates and any disaster-relief postponements with your qualified intermediary and CPA.