Writing your own custom Save the 1031 letter
Sending your own letter via mail or fax directly to your representatives in Congress can be as much as 10 times more effective than submitting a web form. In this post we provide everything you need to know in order to successfully write your own using one of our letters as an example.
Begin the letter with the proper title and contact info.
The Honorable [Representative Name]
[Address]
[City], [State] [Zip] USA
State your purpose
The very first thing to do is to state the action you want your representative to perform.
e.g. "I urge you to oppose all efforts to repeal the 1031 Exchange."
Explain how 1031 Exchanges impact you personally
Next you need to explain how this action affects you personally. The more specific and the more personal you can make this, the better. Speak from your heart.
e.g. "Business Owners like me utilize the 1031 Exchange during important business transitions. Repealing the 1031 would prevent us from relocating or making critical adjustments to our businesses due to the heavy tax burden it would introduce —even in situations under which we would not realize any profit."
Make your case
Pick one or two specific talking points to write about. Here are some ideas.
Eliminating the 1031 Exchange would:
- erode retirement savings currently locked up in real estate
- effectively introduce an unfair tax on unrealized "paper" gain that would have to be paid for out of pocket
- go beyond what the Constitution allows Congress to do when it permits Congress to tax income
- decrease tax revenue and kill jobs by cutting down on the volume of real estate, equipment, and business transactions
- decrease the mobility of capital currently at work in the economy
- crash real estate markets, causing loan collateral to plummet in value
- block rental companies from updating inventory
- prevent businesses from making critical transitions
Closing
Sign off using "Sincerely" or "Thank you" and your full name and location. If you are looking for a written response, be sure and include your full mailing address.
Sincerely,
[Your Name][Your Address]
[City], [State] [Zip]
Before you mail it
Before sending, be sure to read your letter a few times over to check for spelling and grammar and to make sure you are being courteous, respectful, and reasonable.
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Interested in making your voice heard regarding this issue via social media or other methods? Check out this article on Additional highly effective ways to get your message to your representatives.