Deducting Mortgage Points: Here's how it is being deducted

The points you paid for when you signed a mortgage to buy your home can help you reduce your federal tax bill. With scores, sometimes referred to as loan origination points or discount points, go can pay an upfront fee to get a lower interest rate from the lender.

Since mortgage interest is deductible, your points can also be deducted from closing costs. If you list in detail the deductions on Schedule 1040 of the IRS form, you can deduct all your points in the year in which you pay them.

Fortunately for you, the IRS does not care whether you or the seller at home pays the points. However, these points are your deduction, not those of the sellers.

Tax law treats property acquisition points differently from refinancing. Refinancing points decrease during the loan. Therefore, if you paid $1,000 in points for a 10-year refinancing, you will be entitled to deduct $100 per year from your schedule A.

The fine print for the deduction of points

The rules of the IRS regarding the deduction of the purchase of mortgage points are lengthy but straightforward. You must complete each of these seven tests to deduct points in the year in which you pay them.

• Your mortgage ought to be used to buy or build your principal residence, and this residence must secure the loan. Your main house is the one that you live in most of the time. As long as you have kitchen equipment, a bathroom and you can sleep, your main home can be a house, a caravan or a boat. Points paid on a secondary residence must be deducted for the duration of the loan.
• Payment points should be a standard business practice in your area, and the amount should not exceed the average percentage charged. If the majorities in your area pay one or two points, you cannot pay 10 points and deduct them.
• Your points must be legitimate. You cannot tell the creditor of other items in your statement, such as appraisal fees, inspection fees, property rights, legal fees, management fees, or property taxes, such as "points" and deductions.
• Points must be paid directly. In other words, you may not have borrowed funds from the creditor to repay them. Any item paid by the seller is considered paid directly by you. Also, the money you pay, such as an initial deposit or a security deposit, is considered as several points covering the money provided it is equal to or higher than the points. Let's say you pay $10,000 and pay 1,000 points. The advance exceeds the points, so the points are covered, and you can deduct them if you specify it. If you do not deduct anything but pay one point, the $1,000 will not be deductible.
• Your points must be calculated as a percentage of your mortgage, with a point representing 1% of the loan amount. As a result, a mortgage milestone of $ 100,000 equals $ 1,000.
• The points must be included in the statement of disclosure of the regulation as "points." They can appear as points of origin or as loan reduction points.

You can also deduct fully the points you pay (per year of payment) on loan to improve your house if you meet tests 1 to 5 above.

Where points can be deducted

Have you discovered that your points are deductible? Here's how it is being deducted:

The lender will send a 1098 form.

If you do not receive Form 1098, see the information on the transaction received at closing. The points will be displayed on this form in the sections detailing the cost or costs of the seller, depending on who paid the points.

Write down your points on Schedule A of IRS Form 1040.

The two things about the points you cannot deduct

• Interest buy down, your builder pays

Some builders put money into a collateral account (as an incentive to the buyer) that the lender uses every month to complete the mortgage payment. These points are not considered points, although the money is used to pay interest and is paid in advance. It is not possible to deduct the money that the manufacturer has placed on this deposit account.

• Payment of interest from government programs

It is not possible to deduct points paid from a federal, state or local program, such as the Most Difficult Federal Fund, to help you deal with financial problems.