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Incentives to Borrow and the Demand for Mortgage Debt: An Analysis of Tax Reforms

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  • Jappelli, Tullio
  • Pistaferri, Luigi

Abstract

Before 1992 mortgage interest in Italy was fully tax deductible up to 3,500 euro (7,000 for two cosigners). Between 1992-94 the government implemented a series of tax reforms whose ultimate effect was to cancel the relation between the after-tax mortgage rate and the marginal tax rate. Using data from the 1987-2000 Survey of Household Income and Wealth we test if the cancellation of incentives has reduced the propensity to borrow of high-income taxpayers relative to the other population groups. Difference-in-differences estimates and regression analysis indicate that tax considerations have not affected the demand for mortgage debt, either at the extensive or intensive margin.

Suggested Citation

  • Jappelli, Tullio & Pistaferri, Luigi, 2004. "Incentives to Borrow and the Demand for Mortgage Debt: An Analysis of Tax Reforms," CEPR Discussion Papers 3903, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:3903
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Scholz, J.K., 1993. "Tax Progressivity and Household Portfolio: Descriptive Evidence from the Surveys of Consumer Finances," Working papers 9304, Wisconsin Madison - Social Systems.
    2. Slemrod,Joel, 1997. "Tax Progressivity and Income Inequality," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521587761.
    3. Patric H. Hendershott & Gwilyn Pryce & Michael White, 2002. "Household Leverage and the Deductibility of Home Mortgage Interest: Evidence from UK House Purchasers," NBER Working Papers 9207, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Guiso, Luigi & Jappelli, Tullio, 2000. "Household Portfolios in Italy," CEPR Discussion Papers 2549, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. James M. Poterba, 2001. "Taxation and Portfolio Structure: Issues and Implications," NBER Working Papers 8223, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rossi, Mariacristina, 2005. "Households’ Consumption under the Habit Formation Hypothesis. Evidence from Italian Households using the Survey of Household Income and Wealth (SHIW)," Economics Discussion Papers 8886, University of Essex, Department of Economics.
    2. Martins, Nuno C. & Villanueva, Ernesto, 2006. "The impact of mortgage interest-rate subsidies on household borrowing," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(8-9), pages 1601-1623, September.
    3. Jonathan Crook & Stefan Hochguertel, 2007. "US and European Household Debt and Credit Constraints," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 07-087/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    4. Nuno C. Martins & Ernesto Villanueva, 2003. "The impact of interest-rate subsidies on long-term household debt: Evidence from a large program," Economics Working Papers 713, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    5. Monica Paiella & Alberto Franco Pozzolo, 2007. "Choosing between Fixed- and Adjustable-Rate Mortgages," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Sumit Agarwal & Brent W. Ambrose (ed.), Household Credit Usage, chapter 0, pages 219-236, Palgrave Macmillan.
    6. Gaganis, Chrysovalantis & Hasan, Iftekhar & Pasiouras, Fotios, 2020. "National culture and housing credit," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 19-41.
    7. Nuno C. Martins & Ernesto Villanueva, 2003. "The impact of interest-rate subsidies on long-term household debt: Evidence from a large program," Economics Working Papers 713, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mortgage debt; Tax incentives; Borrowing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General

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