Tax overhaul could be big win for US real estate investors

New York

US commercial real estate is a likely winner in the evolving Republican tax overhaul, which is poised to lower rates for property owners, spur new investment and increase demand for rental housing, according to a new report.

Owners and developers of commercial real estate stand to gain from a new tax break for "pass-through" entities, which don't pay corporate tax but instead pass income through to their owners' individual tax returns, according to the report by Cushman & Wakefield Inc. The House and Senate have reached a tentative agreement to create a 20 per cent deduction for pass-throughs, which the report notes are responsible for 61 per cent of investment in US commercial real estate.