What is the Mortgage Interest Deduction?
If you are a homeowner, you more than likely qualify to reduce your taxable income by the amount of interest that has been paid on your home loan. This tax deduction can be applied to interest paid on a condominium, cooperative, mobile home, or a boater recreational vehicle, as long as it was used in a residence (Home). The mortgage interest deduction (MID) is the largest personal tax deduction currently on the books and is also considered the most beneficial tax benefit in the country. MID is making homeownership more affordable and achievable for middle-class Americans (Home).
Not all developed countries allow the mortgage interest deduction on their personal loans; therefore, the countries that have developed this practice have created exceptions to this rule. Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United States each partake in the mortgage interest deduction; whereas, Belgium, Ireland, and Sweden only allow a minor part of the mortgage interest paid to be deducted (Home).
Supporters of the MID With the mortgage tax deduction being one of the largest tax break in the United States, there is bound to be those who are for and against the tax break. The tax deduction provides a tax break of about $69 million per year (Fitchner). With the mortgage interest deduction providing such a large tax break in the United States, it has been considered a significant tool for promoting homeownership for the middle-class (Fitchner). The
In summary, the only tax advantage of selling the old house is that a larger deduction of mortgage interest on the new home. Paying off a mortgage associated with a primary residence has no impact on calculation of gain or loss, it simply reduces the otherwise deductible mortgage interest. You should have mentioned that under IRC 163 the $1M principal balance limitation to fully deducting interest and that they can deduct interest on their primary residence and one other residence.
According to the law, the interests on your mortgage payments are tax deductible. In fact, at the end of each year, your lender will simply add up your 12-month interest payments (without
Tax deductions reduce taxable income; their value thus depends on the taxpayer’s marginal tax rate, which rises with income. Tax credits directly reduce a person’s tax liability and hence have the same value for all taxpayers with tax liability at least equal to the credit. In addition, some credits are refundable; they are not limited by the taxpayer’s tax liability.
In summary the only tax advantage is the ability to have a larger deduction of mortgage interest on the new home. (Code § 163(h)(3)(E)(i). With the sale of their current home they would be able to exclude the gain from the sale up to $500,000. (Code §121(b)(1) and (2)) A word of caution if the sale of their new home the gain is more than $500,000 they would have to pay tax on the amount over at a rate of 25%.
Mortgage Insurance Companies: Mortgage insurance companies are generally used if the borrowers down payment are less than twenty percent of the purchase price of the home. This is called PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance). The cost of private mortgage insurance is included in a buyer’s monthly payment.
You will be able to deduct your new home mortgage interest and property tax but there is no tax benefit if you pay off your existing mortgage.
A federal tax deduction of up to $25,000 that is available to non-real estate professionals who own at least a 10% interest in a rental property that they actively manage and that operates at a loss during a particular tax year.
There is a tax deduction for paying interest on a mortgage for your primary home and one other (ie: vacation home). There is a tax loop hole that allows a homebuyer to exclude up to 50,000 in gain when sailing their principle residence if your old home is sold and a new one is purchased. You would need to consider the savings in tax liability versus the savings on mortgage interest before paying down your mortgage. Usually you will save more by paying off principal than by created a tax deduction off mortgage interest. Please come by with your current mortgage information and we can evaluate the savings potential.
Should you buy a new house or pay off the old mortgage. When it comes to tax laws mortgage interest expense is applied as a deduction only for itemized and even that amount is only used if it exceeds the standard deduction. Section 163 (d), provides the limitations on investment interest, and Section 163 (h), disallows deductions for personal interest unless exempt. For 2011, the standard deduction amount for MFJ is 11,800. There is a tax savings of $50,000 that can be used towards a new home when a taxpayer sells principal residence.
The 179D tax deduction is part of a federal tax code section that gives tax reducing incentives for the construction of new commercial or government buildings that are energy efficient. Sometimes, it can also be used for other buildings that are remodeled to include new energy efficient features though. It is unique in comparison to other tax credits because of the way it can give both the building 's owner and the architect who designs the structure tax incentives. Because it motivates people to choose environmentally safe building attributes, it is also sometimes called the Environmental Protection Act (EPAct). Many people have become interested in this credit because it offers a hefty tax discount of roughly $1.80 for every square foot of the building that is claimed. This can quickly reduce a person 's tax burden, especially if it is combined with other tax credits, such as the Manufacturers ' Energy Efficient Appliance credit. But, those who wish to claim the deduction must include special features that support energy efficiency. Some of them include:
Other taxes are continuation of credits deducted in the previous section. In this section you may deduct taxes paid by the taxpayer for self-employment tax and social security and Medicare taxes paid. These items are also deducted from the taxes you owe at the end of the year. The first part of the payment section is the amount of tax you paid. Some of the different items in this section are earned income credit, first time homeowner’s credit.
“When you rent, you write your monthly check and that money is gone forever. But when you own your home, you can deduct the cost of your mortgage loan interest from federal income taxes, and usually from your state taxes” (Home Buyers Guide, p4). Buying a home can be alarming, if you are not prepared, whether for the first time or even for the fifth time. If you take time before going into the process to gain the knowledge needed, one might see that
homeowners to pay off the price of their home in ways that are financially comfortable to them,
The American homeowners have been forced to accept these adjustable rate loans in order to lower their monthly payment by a few hundred dollars. In the long-term, most end up refinancing down the line and losing all the money they saved monthly on additional closing costs, to modify an adjustable interest rate loan.
Star of the hit TV show Shark Tank, real estate expert Barbara Corcoran shares 3 crucial rules on how homeowners could save thousands of dollars and pay off their mortgage faster -- just by taking advantage of today’s “ridiculously low interest rate.”1