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Taxation and Housing Markets: Preliminary Evidence on the Effects of Recent Tax Reforms

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  • James M. Poterba

Abstract

The tax changes of the 1980s altered the incentives for housing consumption. Marginal tax rate reductions in both the Economic Recovery Tax Act (1981) and the Tax Reform Act (1986) reduced the attraction of homeownership, particularly at high income levels. The Tax Reform Act, by lowering depreciation allowances and implementing anti-tax shelter provisions, also reduced the net tax subsidy to rental housing. In the long run these changes will raise real rents and reduce the fraction of national income that is allocated to housing. Preliminary evidence shows a pronounced decline in rental housing construction since the 1986 tax bill, as well as a decline in the real price of owner-occupied homes which may be partly attributable to the tax change.

Suggested Citation

  • James M. Poterba, 1990. "Taxation and Housing Markets: Preliminary Evidence on the Effects of Recent Tax Reforms," NBER Working Papers 3270, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:3270
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    1. Ken’ichi Matsumoto & Yuki Yamamoto & Nao Ohya, 2018. "Effect of Subsidies and Tax Deductions on Promoting the Construction of Long-Life Quality Houses in Japan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-16, October.
    2. Michael P Keane & Xiangling Liu, 2024. "Tax preferences and housing affordability: Exploration using a life-cycle model," IFS Working Papers W24/48, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    3. Romero-Jordán, Desiderio & del Río, Pablo & Peñasco, Cristina, 2016. "An analysis of the welfare and distributive implications of factors influencing household electricity consumption," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 361-370.
    4. Alan J. Auerbach & Joel Slemrod, 1997. "The Economic Effects of the Tax Reform Act of 1986," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 35(2), pages 589-632, June.
    5. David C. Ling, 1992. "Real Estate Values, Federal Income Taxation, and the Importance of Local Market Conditions," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 20(1), pages 125-139, March.
    6. Stähler, Nikolai, 2019. "Who benefits from using property taxes to finance a labor tax wedge reduction?," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    7. Joe Peek & James A. Wilcox, 1991. "The Measurement and Determinants of Single‐Family House Prices," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 19(3), pages 353-382, September.
    8. de Bartolome, Charles A. M., 1995. "Which tax rate do people use: Average or marginal?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 79-96, January.
    9. Bielecki, Marcin & Stähler, Nikolai, 2022. "Labor Tax Reductions In Europe: The Role Of Property Taxation," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 26(2), pages 419-451, March.
    10. Philippe Thalmann, 2007. "Tenure-neutral and Equitable Housing Taxation," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 44(2), pages 275-296, February.

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