ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Internal Revenue Code section 1031

So, let's imagine you have a toy that you really like, let's say a toy truck. But you want to exchange it for another toy, like a toy airplane. Lucky for you, there is a law that allows you to exchange your toy truck for a toy airplane without having to pay taxes on the value of the toy truck.

This law is called Internal Revenue Code Section 1031, and it allows people to exchange certain types of property (like real estate or investment property) without having to pay taxes on the value of the property. This means that if you own a property and you want to exchange it for another property (that is also a type of property that qualifies for this law), you can do so without having to pay taxes on the value of the first property.

Now, it's important to remember that there are rules for how to do this exchange. You can't just give someone your property and take their property without going through some steps that the law requires. You may need to use a special type of intermediary (like a special company or person) to help you make the exchange. You also may need to make sure that the value of the property you are getting in exchange is similar to the value of the property you are giving up.

But if you follow the rules and do everything right, you can use Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 to exchange your property for another property without having to pay taxes on the value of the first property. So, just like you can trade your toy truck for a toy airplane without losing any money, people can trade their properties without losing money to taxes.