Professor Ventry Presents "Accidental Deduction" Paper at Duke, Loyola

Professor Dennis J. Ventry, Jr. presented his recent paper, "The Accidental Deduction: A History and Critique of the Tax Subsidy for Mortgage Interest" at a conference entitled, "Turning Points in the History of the Federal Income Tax" at Duke University School of Law on November 6 and at Loyola Law School's Tax Policy Colloquium on November 9.

The paper traces the history of the mortgage interest deduction "from accident to birthright, from one of many deductible personal interest items to one of the few left standing, and from a nominal tax offset to the second most expensive tax subsidy," and includes "a eulogy to the mortgage interest deduction that draws on criticisms of the subsidy from two generations of tax reformers and tax policymakers that are more applicable today than at any time during the deduction's nearly 100-year history."

Professor Ventry is an expert in tax policy and has written widely on the subject. His research interests include family taxation, tax expenditure analysis, legal ethics and professional standards, tax and legal history, tax compliance and administration, and public finance.