The real estate industry strongly supports bold actions to finance infrastructure needs, expand the economy, and promote job growth, particularly solutions that help keep real estate — which employs over 13 million Americans and provides three-quarters of local tax revenue — in healthy balance.  

Responsibly financing these, and other, initiatives obviously will require additional tax revenue.   

Many businesses and communities are still straining to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. As policymakers consider the options to raise this needed revenue, we strongly urge that the focus be on broad-based tax increases that do minimal damage to job creation, risk taking and entrepreneurial activity.     

Unfortunately, particularly when considered in total, many of the tax proposals accompanying the American Jobs Plan or American Families Plan, would reduce economic activity, impede job growth, and diminish opportunities for startup businesses and those less advantaged.  

Eliminating the reward for investing capital, risking personal savings and borrowing, providing construction guarantees, or providing plain old sweat equity would have enormous economic impacts across the country . . . some of which are known, but many of which are unknown and could result in significant unintended consequences.   

Rewarding risk with a capital gains rate that is lower than the ordinary tax rate, allowing real property to be traded with some tax deferral, recognizing that risks that qualify for capital gains treatment are not just associated with cash investments — together these policies encourage the productive risk-taking that spurs investment in economically struggling communities and more challenging assets, like affordable housing.  

The current law in these areas may be in need of review and reform, but repealing these incentives is simply not wise.   

As this important process moves forward, The Real Estate Roundtable will share data, research, and recommendations with the Administration and lawmakers to advance sound tax policy that is fair, productive and provides equal opportunities for all Americans.”

The Real Estate Roundtable brings together leaders of the nation’s top publicly-held and privately-owned real estate ownership, development, lending and management firms with the leaders of major national real estate trade associations to jointly address key national policy issues relating to real estate and the overall economy.