• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
FinanceHousing

Biden proposes eliminating real estate investor tax break, while Republicans discuss cuts to housing programs

By
Alena Botros
Alena Botros
Former staff writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Alena Botros
Alena Botros
Former staff writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 10, 2023, 7:11 PM ET
President Joe Biden delivers remarks to the 2023 International Association of Fire Fighters Legislative Conference, Monday, March 6, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Joe Biden delivers remarks to the 2023 International Association of Fire Fighters Legislative Conference, Monday, March 6, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

On Thursday, the Biden administration released its $6.9 trillion budget proposal for next year that’d cut deficits by nearly $3 trillion over the next ten years via tax increases. 

In the budget, the administration claims that closing “tax loopholes that overwhelmingly benefit the rich and the largest, most profitable corporations,” will save billions of dollars. With that, President Joe Biden proposed to close the so-called “like-kind exchange loophole,” as his administration refers to it, arguing that it “lets real estate investors defer tax indefinitely.” But it’s not the first time Biden’s proposed to close the “like-kind exchange” benefit, and it’s unlikely that it’ll be included once Congress approves spending levels. 

The “like-kind exchange,” or 1031 exchange, basically allows real estate investors to sell their property and acquire another and defer any capital gains taxes from that initial sale. Referring to it as a special tax subsidy, the White House wrote: “This loophole lets real estate investors put off paying tax on profits from real estate deals indefinitely as long as they keep investing in real estate. This amounts to an indefinite interest free loan from the government. Real estate is the only asset that gets this sweetheart deal.”

University of Southern California professor of public policy and director of the Homelessness Policy Research Institute, Gary Painter, told Fortune it’s likely that Biden is attempting to show that “people who have rental properties as investments ought not to be treated differently than people who are owner occupiers of their homes,” as notion of tax fairness, so to speak. 

If the rules regarding how easily it is to move from one investment property to another change, you might just see fewer of those exchanges because investors won’t want to pay capital gains multiple times, Painter said. Not to mention that changing the law could make it more difficult to obtain financing because profit is essentially being reduced, which changes the value of properties like multifamily buildings. Painter later added that closing the 1031 exchange “doesn’t seem like the right thing to do right now,” and there are other opportunities for the government to close loopholes that don’t potentially impact the building of multifamily housing. 

Senator Elizabeth Warren, on Thursday after the budget’s release, tweeted: “Real estate investors, including giant corporate landlords, bought up 1/4 of all single-family homes sold in 2021, often exploiting tax breaks. The way I see it, taxpayer money on housing needs to go towards addressing the affordability crisis—not enriching Wall Street,” seemingly approving Biden’s proposal.

The Biden administration claims that in eliminating this tax subsidy for real estate, it saves $19 billion. What the money will go to however, is not mentioned. But, in a separate entity of the budget, the administration proposes to invest more than $175 billion on housing—with plans to invest in building and preserving millions of affordable homes, while reducing barriers to housing production; committing to housing accessibility and affordability for youth aging out of foster care and veterans; investing in first-time, first-generation homebuyers by providing down payment assistance; and funding to build on the Biden Administration’s unprecedented eviction prevention, diversion, and rent relief programs and advancing efforts to end homelessness. 

Painter said if he had to predict, this wouldn’t “survive” the Republican-led House, which is reportedly considering making cuts to housing programs in their own budget expected later this spring, according to the New York Times. 

Just around thirty minutes after Biden and his administration unveiled next year’s proposed budget, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tweeted, “President Biden just delivered his budget to Congress, and it is completely unserious. He proposes trillions in new taxes that you and your family will pay directly or through higher costs. Mr. President: Washington has a spending problem, NOT a revenue problem,” which garnered a retweet from the House GOP account. 

In the Times’ report, published ahead of Biden’s budget release, the publication claims that some House Republicans are developing their own budget that heavily relies on a budget outline created by Russell Vought (the former Trump administration budget director.) 

The budget outline includes a 43% cut to housing programs, which includes phasing out Section 8, among other proposed cuts, according to the Times. Vought told the Times that his strategy uses spending cuts against the “woke and weaponized government.” But cutting housing programs by a bit less than half, and phasing out Section 8 (which uses housing vouchers to financially assist low-income people with their monthly rent), “would be devastating,” Painter said, adding that homelessness and housing insecurity would rise dramatically. 

“I have a feeling that in both cases, these are just things that both parties know won’t pass,” Painter told Fortune, but it’s a way to signal their commitment to their constituents. In Biden’s case, he’s showing that real estate investors should be treated the same as people who own their own homes, signaling a commitment to fairness, Painter said. Republicans, if their proposal includes housing program cuts, are fulfilling their promise to cut “all kinds of social safety net programs.” 

Fortune's CFO Daily newsletter is the must-read analysis every finance professional needs to get ahead. Sign up today.
About the Author
By Alena BotrosFormer staff writer
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Alena Botros is a former reporter at Fortune, where she primarily covered real estate.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

t
Real EstateHousing
Congress just passed the most significant housing bill in decades, so why won’t Trump sign it?
By Alex Veiga and The Associated PressJune 25, 2026
40 minutes ago
The bond market knows something about the $39 trillion national debt that Washington doesn’t
EconomyDebt
The bond market knows something about the $39 trillion national debt that Washington doesn’t
By Eva RoytburgJune 25, 2026
1 hour ago
President Donald Trump speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania on June 23, 2026.
Economyoil and gas
Trump turns on Big Oil donors who spent nearly $100 million to get him elected—now he wants the DOJ to investigate them for price gouging
By Tristan BoveJune 25, 2026
2 hours ago
A man pumps his car with gas.
EconomyInflation
U.S. companies swallowed the oil shock. They’re not sure they can do it again
By Sasha RogelbergJune 25, 2026
3 hours ago
Private equity gets cut of two of Taylor Swift’s biggest pop hits through Max Martin’s catalog sale
Arts & Entertainmentprivate equity
Private equity gets cut of two of Taylor Swift’s biggest pop hits through Max Martin’s catalog sale
By Mia OsmonbekovJune 25, 2026
5 hours ago
stock
InvestingMarkets
How one chip stock reversed the global tech selloff, exposed AI’s ‘memory tax’ and made the case for an entire valuation regime change
By Nick LichtenbergJune 25, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
16 hours ago
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
2 days ago
Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
Success
Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 25, 2026
16 hours ago
Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
Retail
Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
Asia
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.