The loan may be a mortgage to buy your home, or a second mortgage. You can't deduct home mortgage interest unless the following conditions are met. You file Form 1040 or 1040-SR and itemize deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040). The mortgage is a secured debt on a qualified home in which you have an ownership interest.
Taxpayers can deduct the interest paid on first and second mortgages up to $1,000,000 in mortgage debt (the limit is $500,000 if married and filing separately). Any interest paid on first or second mortgages over this amount is not tax deductible.
The 2020 mortgage interest deduction
Mortgage interest is still deductible, but with a few caveats: Taxpayers can deduct mortgage interest on up to $750,000 in principal.
For the 2021 tax year (filed in 2022), the standard deduction amounts are: $12,550 for single and married filing separate taxpayers. $18,800 for head of household taxpayers. $25,100 for married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er) taxpayers.
The home office deduction allows qualified taxpayers to deduct certain home expenses when they file taxes. To claim the home office deduction on their 2021 tax return, taxpayers generally must exclusively and regularly use part of their home or a separate structure on their property as their primary place of business.
If the loan is not a secured debt on your home, it is considered a personal loan, and the interest you pay usually isn't deductible. Your home mortgage must be secured by your main home or a second home. You can't deduct interest on a mortgage for a third home, a fourth home, etc.
2022 tax season is among us, and it is important to make sure you can save as much money as possible. Essentially, the mortgage interest deduction allows homeowners to reduce their taxable income by the amount they paid in home interest for the tax year. This requires itemizing on tax returns.
Taxpayers have been able to deduct PMI in the past, and the Consolidated Appropriations Act extended the deduction into 2020 and 2021. The deduction is subject to qualified taxpayers' AGI limits and begins phasing out at $100,000 and ends at those with an AGI of $109,000 (regardless of filing status).
Income Phaseout
There is an income threshold where once breached, every $100 over minimizes your mortgage interest deduction. That level is roughly $200,000 per individual and $400,000 per couple for 2021.
You Don't Itemize Your Deductions
If you don't itemize, you get no deduction. You should itemize only if your total itemized deductions exceed the applicable standard deduction for the year.
You can deduct what you paid in property taxes throughout the year when you file your federal income tax return. This tax break reduces the amount of tax you owe, and it can even help you qualify for a refund.
Homeowners insurance is typically not tax deductible, but there are other deductions you can claim as long as you keep track of your expenses and itemize your taxes each year.
Property Taxes
As a homeowner, you'll face property taxes at a state and local level. You can deduct up to $10,000 of property taxes as a married couple filing jointly – or $5,000 if you are single or married filing separately. Depending on your location, the property tax deduction can be very valuable.
However once you are at full retirement age (between 65 and 67 years old, depending on your year of birth) your Social Security payments can no longer be withheld if, when combined with your other forms of income, they exceed the maximum threshold.
That might sound like a lot of work, but it can pay off if your total itemized deductions are higher than the standard deduction. For 2021, the standard deduction numbers to beat are: Single taxpayers: $12,550. Married taxpayers filing a joint return: $25,100.
Landlines and cellphones (unless business-related)
And if you have a second landline phone specifically for business use, its full cost is deductible. Cellphones are a legitimate deductible expense if you're self-employed and use the phone for business. It's recommended that you obtain an itemized bill to prove it.
You should itemize deductions if your allowable itemized deductions are greater than your standard deduction or if you must itemize deductions because you can't use the standard deduction. You may be able to reduce your tax by itemizing deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040), Itemized Deductions.
Here's what it boils down to: If your standard deduction is less than your itemized deductions, you probably should itemize and save money. If your standard deduction is more than your itemized deductions, it might be worth it to take the standard and save some time.
All interest you pay on your home's mortgage is fully deductible on your tax return. (The exception is for loans above $1 million; the deduction on these is capped.) In other words, $4,000 in annual mortgage interest reduces your taxable income by that $4,000 amount.