1031 Exchange Deadline Calculator
The 1031 clock is strict: 45 days to identify your replacement property and 180 days to close — both measured in calendar days from your sale, with no extensions.
- ✓See both deadlines and exactly how many days remain
- ✓Understand why DSTs work as a fast identification option
- ✓Get matched options before your window closes
Deadlines are calendar days from your sale closing with no extensions (limited disaster relief aside). This tool is educational — confirm dates with your Qualified Intermediary.
How the two clocks work
Both periods start on the day your relinquished property closes — not when you accept an offer, and not when you find a replacement. They run at the same time, not one after the other, which is the single most common misunderstanding.
Day 45 — identification
By midnight on the 45th calendar day you must identify your replacement property in writing, signed, and delivered to your qualified intermediary. Calendar days means weekends and federal holidays count. There is no extension for a deal falling through, and in practice this is where most failed exchanges fail.
Day 180 — closing
You must complete the purchase by the 180th calendar day, or by the due date of your tax return for that year including extensions, whichever comes first. That second condition catches people who sell late in the year: without filing an extension, the deadline can arrive well before day 180.
The three identification rules
Your written identification has to satisfy one of these. You pick which one you are relying on.
Three-property rule
Identify up to three properties of any value. This is what most exchangers use, because it is simple and hard to get wrong.
200% rule
Identify any number of properties, so long as their combined value is no more than twice what you sold. Useful when spreading across several smaller assets.
95% rule
Identify any number of any value, but you must actually acquire at least 95% of that total value. Rarely used, and unforgiving if a purchase falls through.
Miss the identification window and the sale becomes fully taxable — capital gains, depreciation recapture, and state tax all at once. This is one reason DSTs get used as a backup identification: they are pre-packaged and can close quickly when a primary target collapses late. Our guide on saving a failing exchange covers that scenario.
This calculator counts calendar days from the date you enter and is an educational estimate only. It does not account for tax-return due dates, extensions, or weekend/holiday conventions your intermediary may apply. Confirm every date with your qualified intermediary and CPA.