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Tax-driven Bunching of Housing Market Transactions: The Case of Hong Kong

Author

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  • Charles Ka Yui Leung

    (City University of Hong Kong)

  • Tin Cheuk Leung

    (Chinese University of Hong Kong)

  • Kwok Ping Tsang

    (Virginia Tech)

Abstract

We study the implications of a property market transaction tax. As property buyers are obligated to pay a transaction tax ("stamp duty¨ or SD) where the rate increases with the value of the transaction, there are incentives to trade at the cutoff points of the tax schedule or just below them. Thus, both ¡§bunching in transactions¡¨ and ¡§underpricing¡¨ should be observed near those cutoffs. Furthermore, the bunching points should change with the tax schedule. We confirm these conjectures with a rich dataset from the Hong Kong housing market and provide a measure of tax avoidance.

Suggested Citation

  • Charles Ka Yui Leung & Tin Cheuk Leung & Kwok Ping Tsang, 2015. "Tax-driven Bunching of Housing Market Transactions: The Case of Hong Kong," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 18(4), pages 473-501.
    • Handle: RePEc:ire:issued:v:18:n:04:2015:p:473-501
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    13. Charles Ka Yui Leung & Patrick Wai Yin Cheung & Edward Chi Ho Tang, 2013. "Financial Crisis and the Co-movements of Housing Sub-markets: Do relationships change after a crisis?," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 16(1), pages 68-118.
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    Cited by:

    1. Edward C. H. Tang, 2021. "Speculate a lot," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 91-109, February.
    2. Yanke Dai & Yangfei Xu, 2022. "Cheating under Regulation: Evidence from “Yin-and-Yang” Contracts on Beijing’s Housing Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-29, October.
    3. Haiwei Chen, 2017. "Real Estate Transfer Taxes and Housing Price Volatility in the United States," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 20(2), pages 207-219.
    4. Daisy J. Huang & Charles Ka Yui Leung & Chung-Yi Tse, 2018. "What Accounts for the Differences in Rent-Price Ratio and Turnover Rate? A Search-and-Matching Approach," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 431-475, October.
    5. Charles Ka Yui Leung & Joe Cho Yiu Ng & Edward Tang, 2020. "Why is the Hong Kong Housing Market Unaffordable? Some Stylized Facts and Estimations," Globalization Institute Working Papers 380, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    6. Wong, Siu Kei & Cheung, Ka Shing & Deng, Kuang Kuang & Chau, Kwong Wing, 2021. "Policy responses to an overheated housing market: Credit tightening versus transaction taxes," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    7. Charles Ka Yui Leung, 2015. "Availability, Affordability and Volatility: The Case of the Hong Kong Housing Market," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 18(3), pages 383-428.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bunching; Change in Nonlinear Tax Schedule; Housing Market; Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion; Underpricing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L85 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Real Estate Services

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