Taxable Imputed Rent

I had no idea what "imputed rent" meant but it is basically the rent you would be paying if, instead of owning, you were renting the place you lived.  This article in The New York Times explains what would happen if that imputed rent were taxed.  While at first that seems crazy (you have to pay a mortgage, maintenance, and mostly you buy a home to avoid renting) it turns out that it kind of makes sense.  Since if you have a mortgage, that amount would be tax deductible anyway, for most people, the taxable imputed rent would most likely be quite small, but for those who don't have a mortgage, and are no longer contributing to the housing market, a tax on the rent they don't have to pay sort of makes sense, sort of.  This article goes into terms we discussed last night, like efficiency, equity, etc to evaluate this idea.  And, as with most things, other countries already do this.