Actual receipt is physical possession of, exchange proceeds or other property by an exchanger completing a tax-deferred like-kind exchange. Any receipt of the exchange proceeds during the exchange period will disqualify the entire tax-deferred exchange transaction under IRC Section 1031.
An actual receipt isn’t a paper receipt for the purchase of something, such as might happen at a retail store. Instead, it is another term used to express possession of sale proceeds of the relinquished property in a 1031 exchange. A common form of actual receipt is a check for the sale proceeds.
Two receipts can occur in a 1031 exchange. One is the actual, and the other is the constructive receipt. A constructive receipt may involve the client’s attorney. In this case, the attorney is an agent of the client and takes possession of sale proceeds then passes them on to the client. That violates the 1031 exchange rules.