Some economists want to tax you for the “benefit” of living in your own home. It’s called imputed rent — and it could mean paying income tax on the rental value of your house, even while struggling with mortgage repayments. In Switzerland and the Netherlands, homeowners get mortgage interest deductions to offset this. In Australia, we don’t — which means ordinary families, single parents, and pensioners would be hit with a double blow. Here’s why this proposal is unfair, unrealistic, and the wrong way to fix our housing system.