The Real Estate Roundtable on Tuesday wrote to the Treasury Department and IRS about the new limitation on business interest deductibility enacted in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA).  The provision allows qualifying businesses to continue fully deducting interest related to commercial real estate debt.  (Roundtable comment letter, Feb. 26)

The Roundtable's Feb. 26 letter on business interest deductibility.

• Roundtable President & CEO Jeffrey DeBoer sent the  detailed comments as Treasury officials work to finalize proposed regulations implementing TCJA's new section 163(j), which limits the deductibility of business interest to no more than 30% of modified, adjusted taxable income.  Section 163(j) includes a critical exception for real estate.
• On December 28, 2018 Treasury published proposed regulations clarifying that partner-level debt may qualify for the real estate exception-if the debt is allocable to a partnership engaged in a real property trade or business (RPTOB). 
• DeBoer notes in The Roundtable's Feb. 26 letter, "In light of the clear legislative intent to enact a broad real estate exception and its importance to the health and stability of real estate markets, the final Treasury regulations should build on the proposed rules and not limit unnecessarily the ability of a real property trade or business (RPTOB) to elect out of the provisions of section 163(j)."
• DeBoer adds, "No issue in tax reform is more important to the health and stability of U.S. commercial real estate than the new rules related to the taxation of business-related borrowing.  U.S. commercial real estate is leveraged conservatively with roughly $14 trillion of total property value and $4 trillion of debt."

The letter includes detailed comments on several 163(j) implementation issues and makes the following recommendations:

The need to preserve the deduction for income-producing real estate was at the center of Jeffrey DeBoer's testimony and exchanges with Senate Finance Committee members before final passage of the 2017 tax overhaul law. (Roundtable Statement for the Record, Sept. 19, 2017 and video clips).

• The real estate exception should extend through all "tiered" investment structures. 
• The real estate exception should apply fully to non-rental activities. 
• Treasury regulations should not "whipsaw" corporations/REITs through conflicting definitions of a "trade or business" that can effectively block their ability to use the real estate exception. 
• Treasury regulations should modify the anti-abuse rule for related-party leases. 
• The small business exception should not prevent otherwise eligible partners from qualifying for the real estate exception. 
• Debt allocation rules should not undercount real estate assets for purposes of the real estate exception.
• Treasury regulations should confirm that senior housing constitutes a real property trade or business.

The economic consequences of changes to the deductibility of business interest expense, and particularly the potential impact on real estate, was a central focus of lawmakers during consideration of the historic tax overhaul in 2017.  The need to preserve the deduction for income-producing real estate was at the center of DeBoer's testimony and exchanges with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch – and other members of the committee – during the last congressional hearing on business tax reform prior to votes on the TCJA.  (Roundtable Statement for the Record, Sept. 19, 2017 and video clips).  

The Real Estate Roundtable and 27 other industry organizations today submitted principles for reforming the Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which underpin the multi-trillion-dollar financial market for single-family and multifamily mortgages. (GSE Reform Coalition letter, March 1)

The Real Estate Roundtable and 27 other industry organizations today submitted principles for reforming the Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs).

• "We believe that comprehensive legislative reform, including an end of conservatorship, is ultimately necessary in order to codify structural changes that ensure safety and soundness and provide the certainty needed for private capital to establish a more reliable presence in housing finance," according to the comments.
• The letter emphasized that compelling evidence must show the private market is capable of an expanded role before efforts are made to reduce the GSEs' current housing finance footprint. "Ultimately, we believe any reform, be it administrative or legislative, must seek to further two key objectives: 1) preserving what works in the current system, while 2) maintaining stability by avoiding unintended adverse consequences for borrowers, lenders, investors, or taxpayers."    
• Fannie and Freddie recently announced they will pay a combined $4.7 billion in dividends to the U.S. Treasury Department.  The government took control of the two GSEs in September 2008 during the financial crisis.  (Reuters, Feb. 14)
• The GSE coalition reform principles were sent to Acting Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Joseph Otting and Washington policymakers days after the Senate Banking Committee advanced the nomination of Mark Calabria as FHFA Director.  Calabria, currently chief economist to Vice President Mike Pence, would lead the agency that oversees the GSEs.  A vote to approve Calabria now moves to the full Senate, where it is expected to pass. (Housing Wire, Feb. 26 and Senate Banking Committee nomination hearing, Feb. 14) 
• The coalition states in today's letter that FHFA should establish policies that ensure a continuation or expansion of: 

  The  coalition states that FHFA should establish certain policies to support the continuation or expansion of a robust housing market.

  
   
  • A liquid national market with broad and fairly-priced access to affordable credit and improved infrastructure for the single-family secondary market;
  • Support for strong and sustained liquidity in the multifamily rental market;
  • Equal secondary market access and pricing for all lenders, regardless of size or volume; and
  • The sustainable transfer of appropriate credit risk to the private sector. 

• The letter also advocates that principles governing any potential administrative reforms to the GSEs should be guided by the potential impact on borrowers, taxpayers, and market structure dynamics.  Any reform that would meaningfully alter the GSEs' market presence-single-family, multifamily, or both-should also seek to maintain and enhance the stability and liquidity of the housing finance system.  (GSE Reform Coalition letter, March 1) 
• Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer added, "Housing finance reform should support the GSE's overall mission-ensure Americans across a broad range of income levels have access to a diverse supply of housing." 

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) on Feb. 1 released an outline for reforming the nation's housing finance system, including the GSEs. (Crapo Statement and Housing Reform Outline, Feb. 1 / Roundtable Weekly, Feb. 8)