Tax Benefits and Deductions Avalaible to U.S. Homeowners

This article is current for the 2014 tax year and should not be considered tax advice. For tax-related questions or mortgage strategy related to your individual tax liability, speak with a licensed accountant.


Tax season may feel like a burden for some Americans, but homeowners have plenty of advantages when it comes to claiming deductions.


The U.S. tax code is designed to offer incentives to homeowners, and by taking advantage of these breaks, 1040-filing citizens can maximize their financial investment in homeownership.
Whether a home is financed via a mortgage, or paid-in-full with cash, there are a multitude of tax-savings opportunities associated with owning a home. Of course, every homeowner's financial situation is different, so please consult with a tax professional regarding your individual tax liability.

Tax Deduction : Mortgage Interest Paid

Mortgage interest paid to a lender is tax-deductible and, for some homeowners, interest paid ca provide a large tax break -- especially in the early years of a home loan. This is because the standard mortgage amortization schedule is front loaded with mortgage interest.


At today's mortgage rates, annual interest payments on a 30-year loan term exceed annual principal payments until loan's 10th year.


Mortgage interest tax deductions are extended to second mortgages, too.


Interest paid on refinances, home equity loans (HELOAN) and home equity lines of credit (HELOC) are tax-deductible as well. However, restrictions apply on homeowners who raise their mortgage debt beyond their property's fair market value.


The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) imposes a $1 million loan size cap. Loans for more than one million dollars are exempt from this tax deduction.

Tax Deduction : Discount Points

Mortgage tax deductions can extend beyond your monthly payment. Discount points paid in connection with a home purchase or a refinance are often tax deductible too.


A discount point is a one-time, at-closing fee which gets a borrower access to mortgage rates below current "market rates".


As an example, if the current market mortgage rate is 5 percent, paying one discount point may get you access to a mortgage rate of 4.75%. The IRS treats discount points as "prepaid mortgage interest" which, in turn, can render them tax-deductible.


When discount points are paid in conjunction with a purchase, the cost may be deducted in full in the year in which they were paid, dollar-for-dollar. With respect to a refinance, discount points are not fully tax-deductible in the year in which they are paid. With a refinance, discount points are typically amortized over the life of the loan.The cost of one discount point on a 30-year loan can be deducted at 1/30 of its value per tax-calendar year.

Other Deductions : Property Taxes, Renovations, Home Office

Real Estate Taxes

Homeowners typically pay real estate taxes to local and state entities. These property taxes can often be deducted in the year in which they are paid. If your mortgage lender currently escrows your taxes and insurance, it will send an annual statement to you which you can file with your complete federal tax returns. Your accountant can help determine the payment's tax deductibility.

Home Improvements

For tax-paying homeowners, certain types of home improvement projects are tax-deductible. Home improvements made for medical reasons, for example, can be tax-deductible. If you are making home renovations to accommodate a chronically ill or disabled person, and the renovations do not add to the overall value of the home, the project costs are typically 100% tax deductible. Repairs and improvements made for aesthetic purposes are not tax-deductible.

Home Offices

Homeowners who work from their residence can typically deduct the expenses of maintaining a qualified home office. Allowable tax deductions for a home office include renovations to the room(s), telephone lines, and the cost of heat and electric. Before claiming a home office on your returns, though, be sure to speak with an accountant to understand the benefits and liabilities. There are caveats to claiming home office tax deductions on your tax returns, and the rules can be tricky.

Homeowners : Budget For Your Tax Breaks

Tax deductions will reduce your annual costs of homeownership and, for some homeowners, mortgage interest tax deductions will shift the answer to the "Should I Rent or Should I Buy?" question.


Tax law changes frequently, though. Consider building your housing budget with the help of a tax preparer. Get a feel for how much home you can afford before and after accounting for your various homeowner tax breaks. And, as you build your budget, use legitimate mortgage rates in your calculations.


Article Credit to Dan Green

10 Tax Mistakes Parents Make

Top 10 common mistakes that parents make when they do their taxes:

Failing to quickly get a Social Security number for a new child:

Mark Luscombe, principal federal tax analyst for the tax firm CCH, says that even newborns need Social Security numbers right away. Hospitals make it easier by helping new parents with the paperwork, but parents are still responsible for making sure they get the number and use it correctly when filing taxes. Otherwise, Luscombe says, the IRS could disallow some of the tax benefits.

Luscombe adds that parents themselves need to make sure they have their correct Social Security number on their tax forms. This can be especially challenging for people who recently got married, changed their names, and requested a new number. "If the name on the tax return and the Social Security number don't match up, the IRS gets concerned," he says.

Omitting the dependent exemption for babies born at the end of the year:

Even babies born on December 31 provide their parents an entire year's worth of exemption status. "You don't have to apportion it to the time the baby was alive," explains Barbara Weltman, attorney and author of J.K. Lasser's 1001 Deductions and Tax Breaks 2011. She adds that even high-income tax payers get the full value of the exemption this year.

Overlooking the adoption credit:

This credit, which can be worth about $13,000, is designed to alleviate some of the expenses associated with adopting a child. But because adoption often takes more than one year and involves many types of expenses, parents can get overwhelmed with the paperwork. Bob Meighan, vice president of TurboTax, recommends keeping careful track of receipts, then filing for the credit the year of the adoption.

Forgetting to keep careful records of care providers:

Many working parents are eligible for the child and dependent tax credit, which can help ease some of the costs of daycare, babysitters, and after-school programs for children younger than 13. What often trips parents up, says Luscombe, is that they forget to record the tax ID or Social Security numbers of the care providers throughout the year. Without that information, they can't file for the tax credit. "If you've had a succession of babysitters and have no Social Security numbers, then you could lose out on part of the credit for not doing your homework," he says.

Stacey Bradford, author of The Wall Street Journal's Financial Guidebook for New Parents, adds that summer day camp fees also count if both parents are working, looking for work, or studying, as long as the child is under age 13.

Claiming something other than head of household status:

Single parents in particular often forget to claim head of household status, which provides certain tax advantages, including the ability to claim dependents. "There's a lot of confusion about the head of household filing status and a lot of people don't seem to understand what that means," says Luscombe. Single parents could be eligible for this status if they paid more than half the cost of maintaining their household throughout the year and live with their children for more than half the year.

Ignoring the child tax credit:

The child tax credit, which is worth up to $1,000, phases out for higher earners, but most taxpayers qualify for it, says Meighan. It applies to children under age 17 who live with the parent claiming the credit for more than half the year.

Not filing taxes for an older child with a part-time job:

"Parents forget that an older child might have a tax filing requirement," says Meighan, even if that child is still a dependent. And failing to file that older child's taxes could mean losing out on a refund, because teens often don't earn enough to have any tax liability, even though their employers have withheld taxes. "To get that money back, they have to file a return," adds Meighan.

Failing to take advantage of tax-advantaged savings plans:

Most adults have never heard of 529 college savings accounts, which allow parents to invest after-tax money and grow it tax-free as long as they use it to pay for tuition. Coverdell education savings accounts, which come with strict contribution limits ($2,000 a year) as well as income limits, also offer tax advantages. Similarly, many parents forget to put pre-tax money aside (up to $5,000) into flexible spending accounts offered through their employer to pay for childcare expenses.

Skipping education write-offs:

From the American Opportunity Credit to the Lifetime Learning Credit, there are many tax benefits that help alleviate some of the cost of paying for college. Parents often forget that they can claim student loan interest on their own taxes if the college student is still a dependent--even if the college student is the one paying the loan interest, says Meighan.

Bradford adds that many parents don't realize that a number of states allow deductions for contributions to college savings plans. In New York, she says, residents can write off $5,000 for single filers and $10,000 for married joint filers. She suggests checking savingforcollege.com to see if you qualify.

Repeating classic errors that all taxpayers make:

Eric Smith, IRS spokesman, says the most common errors include forgetting to sign returns, just one spouse signing it, forgetting to attach a W-2 form, failing to use enough postage, and writing the name and address on the mailing envelope illegibly. "Take advantage of computer technology, and most of those mistakes go away," he says.

-By Kimberly Palmer Kimberly Palmer – Mon Feb 7, 4:46 pm ET