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Do People Respond to the Mortgage Interest Deduction? Quasi-experimental Evidence from Denmark

Author

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  • Jonathan Gruber
  • Amalie Jensen
  • Henrik Kleven

Abstract

Using a major reform that scaled back the mortgage interest deduction for middle- and high-income households in Denmark, we study how tax subsidies affect housing decisions. We present four main findings. First, the mortgage deduction has a precisely estimated zero effect on homeownership for high- and middle-income households. Second, the mortgage deduction has a clear effect on housing demand at the intensive margin, inducing homeowners to buy larger and more expensive houses. Third, the deduction has sizeable effects on household financial decisions, inducing them to increase indebtedness. Finally, the reduction of the tax subsidy lowered equilibrium house prices.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan Gruber & Amalie Jensen & Henrik Kleven, 2021. "Do People Respond to the Mortgage Interest Deduction? Quasi-experimental Evidence from Denmark," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 13(2), pages 273-303, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:13:y:2021:i:2:p:273-303
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20170366
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Eerola, Essi & Lyytikäinen, Teemu & Ramboer, Sander, 2022. "The impact of mortgage regulation on homeownership and household leverage: Evidence from Finland's LTV reform," Working Papers 148, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    2. Kunovac, Davor & Zilic, Ivan, 2022. "The effect of housing loan subsidies on affordability: Evidence from Croatia," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    3. Austin J. Drukker, 2021. "Implications of a Mortgage Interest Credit for the United States," Public Finance Review, , vol. 49(4), pages 573-588, July.
    4. Donald Bruce & Lawrence M. Kessler, 2022. "A SALT on Real Estate? Housing Market and Migration Responses to the Limit on the State and Local Tax Deduction," Working Papers 2022-01, University of Tennessee, Department of Economics.
    5. Alexander Daminger & Kristof Dascher, 2023. "Homeowner Subsidy Repeal and Housing Recentralization," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 99(2), pages 283-301.
    6. Alan J. Auerbach & Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Daniel Murphy, 2022. "Demand Stimulus as Social Policy," NBER Working Papers 30498, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Kazuhiko Sumiya & Jesper Bagger, 2022. "Income Taxes, Gross Hourly Wages, and the Anatomy of Behavioral Responses: Evidence from a Danish Tax Reform," Economics Working Papers 2022-03, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    8. Goeyvaerts, Geert, 2023. "Reconstructing cities: Stimulating redevelopment through the tax code," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    9. Christian A. L. Hilber & Olivier Schoni, 2022. "Housing policy and affordable housing," CEP Occasional Papers 56, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    10. Adriana Camacho-González & Jorge Enrique Caputo-Leyva & Fabio Sánchez-Torres, 2022. ""Un nuevo comienzo": El impacto del Programa Vivienda Gratuita sobre la calidad de vida de los hogares beneficiarios," Documentos CEDE 20077, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    11. Diego Daruich & Sabrina Di Addario & Raffaele Saggio, 2023. "The Effects of Partial Employment Protection Reforms: Evidence from Italy," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 90(6), pages 2880-2942.
    12. Michael Warlters, 2023. "Stamp Duty Reform and Home Ownership," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 99(327), pages 492-511, December.
    13. Adriana Camacho-González & Jorge Enrique Caputo-Leyva & Fabio Sánchez-Torres, 2022. "A new beginning: The effect of the free housing program on the quality of life of beneficiary households," Documentos CEDE 20303, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    14. Hembre, Erik & Dantas, Raissa, 2022. "Tax incentives and housing decisions: Effects of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G51 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Household Savings, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • K34 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Tax Law
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand
    • R31 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Housing Supply and Markets

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