Treatment of assumption of liabilities.

Official textecfr.govlast amended Jul 27, 2026

For the purposes of section 1031(d), the amount of any liabilities of the taxpayer assumed by the other party to the exchange (or of any liabilities to which the property exchanged by the taxpayer is subject) is to be treated as money received by the taxpayer upon the exchange, whether or not the assumption resulted in a recognition of gain or loss to the taxpayer under the law applicable to the year in which the exchange was made. The application of this section may be illustrated by the following examples:

Example 1.

B, an individual, owns an apartment house which has an adjusted basis in his hands of $500,000, but which is subject to a mortgage of $150,000. On September 1, 1954, he transfers the apartment house to C, receiving in exchange therefor $50,000 in cash and another apartment house with a fair market value on that date of $600,000. The transfer to C is made subject to the $150,000 mortgage. B realizes a gain of $300,000 on the exchange, computed as follows:

Value of property received		$600,000
Cash		50,000
Liabilities subject to which old property was transferred		150,000
Total consideration received		800,000
Less: Adjusted basis of property transferred		500,000
Gain realized		300,000
Under section 1031(b), $200,000 of the $300,000 gain is recognized. The basis of the apartment house acquired by B upon the exchange is $500,000, computed as follows: Adjusted basis of property transferred		500,000
Less: Amount of money received:
Cash	$50,000
Amount of liabilities subject to which property was transferred	150,000
	___	200,000
Difference		300,000
Plus: Amount of gain recognized upon the exchange		200,000
Basis of property acquired upon the exchange		500,000

Example 2.

(a) D, an individual, owns an apartment house. On December 1, 1955, the apartment house owned by D has an adjusted basis in his hands of $100,000, a fair market value of $220,000, but is subject to a mortgage of $80,000. E, an individual, also owns an apartment house. On December 1, 1955, the apartment house owned by E has an adjusted basis of $175,000, a fair market value of $250,000, but is subject to a mortgage of $150,000. On December 1, 1955, D transfers his apartment house to E, receiving in exchange therefore $40,000 in cash and the apartment house owned by E. Each apartment house is transferred subject to the mortgage on it.

(b) D realizes a gain of $120,000 on the exchange, computed as follows:

Value of property received		$250,000
Cash		40,000
Liabilities subject to which old property was transferred		80,000
Total consideration received		370,000
Less:
Adjusted basis of property transferred	$100,000
Liabilities to which new property is subject	150,000
	____	250,000
Gain realized		120,000

For purposes of section 1031(b), the amount of other property or money received by D is $40,000. (Consideration received by D in the form of a transfer subject to a liability of $80,000 is offset by consideration given in the form of a receipt of property subject to a $150,000 liability. Thus, only the consideration received in the form of cash, $40,000, is treated as other property or money for purposes of section 1031(b).) Accordingly, under section 1031(b), $40,000 of the $120,000 gain is recognized. The basis of the apartment house acquired by D is $170,000, computed as follows:

Adjusted basis of property transferred		$100,000
Liabilities to which new property is subject		150,000
Total		250,000
Less: Amount of money received: Cash	$40,000
Amount of liabilities subject to which property was transferred	80,000
	____	120,000
Difference		130,000
Plus: Amount of gain recognized upon the exchange		40,000
Basis of property acquired upon the exchange		170,000

Value of property received		$220,000
Liabilities subject to which old property was transferred		150,000
Total consideration received		370,000
Less:
Adjusted basis of property transferred	$175,000
Cash	40,000
Liabilities to which new property is subject	80,000
	____	295,000
Gain realized		75,000

For purposes of section 1031(b), the amount of other property or money received by E is $30,000. (Consideration received by E in the form of a transfer subject to a liability of $150,000 is offset by consideration given in the form of a receipt of property subject to an $80,000 liability and by the $40,000 cash paid by E. Although consideration received in the form of cash or other property is not offset by consideration given in the form of an assumption of liabilities or a receipt of property subject to a liability, consideration given in the form of cash or other property is offset against consideration received in the form of an assumption of liabilities or a transfer of property subject to a liability.) Accordingly, under section 1031(b), $30,000 of the $75,000 gain is recognized. The basis of the apartment house acquired by E is $175,000, computed as follows:

Adjusted basis of property transferred		$175,000
Cash		40,000
Liabilities to which new property is subject		80,000
Total		295,000
Less: Amount of money received: Amount of liabilities subject to which property was transferred	$150,000
	____	150,000
Difference		145,000
Plus: Amount of gain recognized upon the exchange		30,000
Basis of property acquired upon the exchange		175,000

Source: view the official text

In this part (40 sections)

Full table of contents →