The proposal put forward last week by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., to simplify and overhaul the tax code has plenty of enemies, but the real estate industry may have the most at stake in the debate.

Advocates for the real estate industry and property owners are expected to fight hard against provisions that target perks for homeowners like the mortgage interest deduction, exclusion of gains on the sale of a principal residence, and property tax deductions.

But the Washington Examiner’s senior political columnist, Timothy Carney, thinks that another provision of Camp’s proposal that would change the way hedge fund managers are paid could have the biggest impact on real estate.

When hedge fund managers who oversee investment partnerships take a slice of the profits they earn for investors, that money is considered capital gains, and often taxed at 15 percent instead of up to 40 percent for ordinary income. The real estate industry has fought to protect the “carried interest” tax perk for hedge fund managers, because nearly half of all investment partnerships are real estate-related.

“In other words, anything that curbs hedge funds also curbs real estate,” Carney says.

Lobbying groups for commercial real estate and apartment builders have fought to protect tax breaks on carried interest, and can be expected to work behind the scenes to scuttle Camp’s proposed changes.

Carney says the reason there are so many provisions of Camp’s bill that would hammer real estate is not because he’s got anything against developers, mortgage bankers or Realtors.

Tax reform would hit real estate from so many directions because “nobody has so successfully tilted the tax code in their favor,” he says.

“The National Association of Realtors has been the top single-industry lobby in each of the past three years. And mortgage lenders are hardly shy when it comes to politics.” Source: washingtonexaminer.com.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×