Thursday, May 14, 2020

Rent or Buy?


The new tax law caps state and local income-tax and property-tax deductions at a total of $10,000; previously there was no limit. That means the new tax law may encourage home rentals. “Let’s say you pay $1,000 a month in property tax ($12,000 a year) on a home. Under the new rule, if you live in the home all year, you’re only entitled to a $10,000 deduction. But say you rent it out for three months. You can deduct 25% of your property tax, or $3,000, on Schedule E for rental deductions and income. You can then deduct the other $9,000 you pay in property taxes on Schedule A for itemized deductions, allowing you to deduct the full amount of your property tax, Mr. Fishman says.” That means you don’t need to pay any property tax for the three-month rental. This is indeed good news for short-term renters.


But why do so many people choose to buy when there are so many benefits? Perhaps an immovable home of one's own is a security. We work hard to make money and having a house of our own can be a comfort. Although renting is a practical solution for me to live in a house, my final opinion is that the final form of living in a house is a house with property rights. Otherwise, I will try to buy a house even if I have all the rights to rent a house.


No comments:

Post a Comment