FACT CHECK: Did Joe Biden Propose A 2% Federal Property Tax Increase?
An image shared on Facebook claims Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden proposed a nationwide 2 percent property tax increase.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence that Biden proposed a nationwide property tax increase. Local and state governments collect property taxes, not the federal government.
Fact Check:
Social media platforms are replete with claims about Biden’s tax proposals. This particular post claims Biden has proposed instituting a nationwide 2 percent property tax increase, with the user saying, “Now let me ask you, how many of you have extra income every month to pay this?”
There is, however, no evidence Biden has proposed such a nationwide property tax increase. Under current law, state and local governments collect property taxes, while the federal government collects a capital gains tax on certain real estate sales, according to SFGate. (RELATED: Has Joe Biden Proposed An Annual 3% Federal Tax On Homes?)
Analyses of Biden’s tax plan from organizations such as the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, the Tax Foundation, the Penn Wharton Budget Model, the American Enterprise Institute and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget do not mention Biden proposing a federal property tax. Biden’s campaign website also does not mention such a measure.
“Biden has not, to our knowledge, proposed any tax increases related specifically to housing. In the US, property taxes are levied by state and local governments, not the federal government,” John Ricco, senior analyst for the Penn Wharton Budget Model, told Check Your Fact in an email. “In fact, he has proposed new tax credits that will benefit new homebuyers and renters, as detailed in the appendix to our Biden platform analysis.”
Check Your Fact previously debunked the claim that Biden’s tax plan includes a 3 percent federal tax on homes. Social media users have also falsely claimed that Biden proposed raising federal income taxes from 12 percent to 25 percent for families making $75,000.
The Biden campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
