Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing
  • Login
  • GDPR
  • Create a Free Account
Return to PRWeb homepage
  • News
  • Resources
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PRWeb provides efficient communication tools to continuously engage with target audiences across multiple online channels
  • Create a Free Account
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us


      11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday

  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR

New Report: Local Option Transfer Taxes Would Reduce Sales, Lower Property Values, Generate Minimal Revenue


News provided by

BOMA International

May 13, 2024, 11:00 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX


Study Highlights Alternative Ways Massachusetts Should Confront the Housing Crisis

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Cities and towns implementing new real estate transfer taxes will lose as much as 60 cents for every dollar in new taxes collected while further driving down local property values and doing little to solve the state’s housing crisis, says a new report authored by the Greater Boston Real Estate Board and Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, with research assistance from the Tufts University Center for State Policy Analysis.

Indeed, the research finds, a 2 percent tax on real estate sales last year would have produced an offsetting loss of nearly 60 cents for every dollar collected, a dramatic inefficiency in the proposals put forward by Boston and other communities, the report found.

"As this report shows, an increase in transfer taxes would have a devastating impact on commercial properties, and that would negatively affect local businesses and all of the jobs and revenue they generate. Particularly as local economies continue to emerge from the pandemic"

Post this

“Massachusetts needs meaningful solutions to the housing crisis and this research should tell the Governor, legislators and local leaders that new taxes won’t work,” said Mike Edward, Chair of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board and President of Perry CRE. “The Commonwealth must avoid passing misguided policies like transfer taxes and instead focus on workable solutions that promote new housing, reduce red tape and ensure the entire Commonwealth participates in a stronger housing future.”

The report, “Empowering Cities and Towns to Tackle the Housing Shortage,” highlights the negative impacts transfer taxes would have on the region’s residential and commercial real estate markets. The report notes how, for every one percentage point increase in the transfer tax, sales decline by seven or eight percent. Citing a study previously conducted by the city of Boston, “Empowering Cities and Towns” discusses how a one percent transfer tax lowers prices by one percent. Even when real estate sales are thriving, a Massachusetts community with a two percent transfer tax would lose 43 cents for every dollar they expect to raise.

The report lays out a detailed roadmap of housing solutions which will support our state’s housing needs without further impacting the economy or creating an urban death spiral in our cities. The report comes as the House of Representatives and Senate prepare to debate Governor Healey’s critical housing proposal.

“Massachusetts needs to build tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands of housing units to meet demand, so it is key that policymakers understand the right ways – and the wrong ways – to address this crisis,” said Evan Horowitz, Executive Director of the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University. “Transfer taxes are a very risky approach. We really need to focus on making it easier to overcome local barriers to housing creation.”

The report suggests a number of ways the state may address the housing crisis, including:

  • Expand policies similar to 40B to streamline the creation of affordable and market-rate housing units.
  • Permit Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) by right across the state, as proposed in Governor Healey’s Housing Bond Bill.
  • Tracking and overseeing existing pots of money meant for affordable housing, including funds in local housing trusts, which rarely report their activity, as well as revenue from the Community Preservation Act, which sometimes sits in municipal bank accounts.
  • Reform policies such as Proposition 2 ½ to exempt affordable housing initiatives from counting towards the tax collection cap, granting communities more flexibility in their budgeting.

"The commercial real estate sector is as committed as anyone in wanting to see vibrant downtowns, and that vision includes affordable housing, but increasing transfer taxes is not the answer," said Don Davis, Vice President of Advocacy and Building Codes at BOMA International. "As this report shows, an increase in transfer taxes would have a devastating impact on commercial properties, and that would negatively affect local businesses and all of the jobs and revenue they generate. Particularly as local economies continue to emerge from the pandemic, this is not the right time for tax increases—we need to encourage business activity that can help downtowns thrive.”

This new report and the previous GBREB/cSPA analysis of the state Community Preservation Act can be found at MAHousingSolutions.com.

About BOMA International and BOMI
With more than 100 years of leadership and innovation, Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and its institute, Building Owners and Managers Institute (BOMI), serve the entire commercial real estate community, including owners, managers, property professionals, engineers, and service providers of all commercial building types, encompassing office, industrial, medical, corporate, government, and mixed-use. BOMA's mission is to advance a vibrant commercial real estate industry through advocacy, influence, and knowledge across a federation of 81 U.S. local associations and 18 global affiliates with over 20,000 members. BOMI provides critical education and training to industry professionals and has delivered more than 400,000 courses and 43,000 credentials through its designations (RPA®, FMA®, SMT®, SMA®, and BOMI-HP®) and certificate programs with a proven record of increasing job performance and company efficiency. BOMA and BOMI are committed to championing commercial real estate professionals, equipping them with cutting-edge insights and unparalleled value to propel their careers. For more info, visit boma.org and bomi.org.

Media Contact

Cathy Calliotte, BOMA International, 410.974.1410 x1257, [email protected], www.boma.org

SOURCE BOMA International

Modal title

Contact PRWeb

  • 11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday
  • Contact Us

About PRWeb

  • About PRWeb
  • Partners
  • Partnership Programs
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Resources

Why PRWeb

  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing

Accounts

  • Create a Free Account
  • Log in
  • Contact Us

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact Cision

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Center
  • ProfNet
Cision Distribution Helpline
888-776-0942
  • Legal
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 Cision US Inc.