Under New Tax Law the Question Is, To Be or Not to Be a REIT?
- For real estate investment trusts, a spur to become a C corp
- Conversion would free up cash for mall, office-property owners
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The sturdy, reliable REIT is facing an existential choice. Should it abandon its tax-free structure to meet pressing capital needs, using the new U.S. tax law as a stepping stone? Or hang on to a status that gives it access to its very own set of investors?
In a letter to investors published this week, Third Avenue Real Estate Value Fund portfolio managers Jason Wolf and Ryan Dobratz argue that some U.S. REITs should consider converting to a regular corporation, known as a C corp, to “maximize the value for shareholders over the long term.”