What Is a Mortgage Interest Deduction?

Zain AlyUpdated on May 11, 2022May 11, 2022

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Whether you are building, purchasing, or making improvements to your residence, you can deduct the interest paid on these loans from your taxable income using the mortgage interest deduction. In certain circumstances, you can also deduct mortgage interest on loans for vacation homes and second homes.

An annual Form 1098 is filed by the mortgage company with the amount of mortgage interest that is deductible. Homeowners are offered this deduction at no cost to them.

Key Pointers

The mortgage interest deduction is available to homeowners and reduces their tax burden.
Schedule A of Form 1098 reports these deductions, and Schedule E reports them depending on the type of deduction.
TCJA of 2017 reduced the maximum mortgage principal eligible for the interest deduction to $750,000 (from $1 million).
The new limits do not apply to some homeowners because of legacy clauses.
Taxpayers typically choose to deduct mortgage interest instead of the standard deduction because it is larger.

This is how Mortgage Interest Deduction works-

As part of the introduction of the income tax in 1913, the mortgage interest deduction became the most popular tax deduction for homeowners in the United States.

Schedule A on the 1040 tax form reports interest on home mortgages. Additionally, the interest on rental properties is also deductible, but it is reported on Schedule E of the tax return. For many taxpayers, the home mortgage interest is the only itemized deduction that allows them to itemize; otherwise, their remaining itemized deductions would not exceed the standard deduction. Interest from home mortgages can also be included along with interest from home equity loans.

According to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, a change was made to the deduction. For new loans, the maximum amount of principal eligible for mortgage interest deductions was reduced from $1 million to $750,000 (i.e., homeowners can deduct the interest paid on up to $750,000 in mortgage debt). As a result, many taxpayers no longer need to itemize their deductions since the standard deductions nearly doubled.

Because of this, most went on to forego the mortgage interest deduction completely. According to estimates, 135.2 million taxpayers would opt for the standard deduction in the first year after the TCJA was implemented.

According to the IRS, 20.4 million taxpayers were expected to itemize, and 16.46 million of them would take advantage of the mortgage interest deduction. The United States has more than 80 million outstanding mortgages, which suggests that many homeowners do not qualify for the mortgage interest deduction.

Qualifications for a Full Mortgage Interest Deduction

Homeowners were limited in how much interest they could deduct from taxes after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was passed in 2017. For single and married taxpayers filing separately, you can only deduct interest on the first $750,000 ($375,000 for married taxpayers filing separately) of your mortgage, not the first $1 million ($500,000 for married taxpayers).

Some homeowners may be able to deduct the entire amount of their mortgage interest if they meet specific criteria. Deductions are taken into consideration the date of the mortgage, the mortgage amount, and the way mortgage funds are used.

All mortgage interest can be deducted throughout the year if the homeowner’s mortgage fits the following criteria. Legacy debt is defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as mortgages taken out before a certain date.

Prior to Oct. 13, 1987, there are no limits on mortgages. Consequently, a taxpayer can deduct any mortgage interest amount from their taxes. If a mortgage was originally issued between Oct. 13, 1987, and Dec. 16, 2017, and if the home was sold before April 1, 2018, the mortgage interest can be deducted on the first $1 million ($500,000 for married filers filing separately). The sale contract must have been executed by Dec. 15, 2017, and the closing must have taken place by April 1, 2018.

Second homes and vacation homes can also qualify for mortgage deductions, but there are some limitations.

Special Considerations

When filing jointly, taxpayers with mortgages from after the grandfathered debt or legacy debt date, qualifying as home equity debt (but not acquisition debt) totaling less than $100,000 – or $50,000 if filing separately – can deduct mortgage interest as long as the debt does not exceed the fair market value of the home after certain adjustments.

For homeowners with secured loans, which means they have signed a mortgage, trust deed, or land contract making the property security for the repayment of the debt, the mortgage interest deduction is available.

Mortgage Interest Deduction Exercisable

The mortgage interest deduction limits have been reduced as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. In addition to the mortgage interest deduction modification, there have been changes to what can be claimed as an itemised deduction, preventing many people from claiming what they previously claimed. Although these changes have taken place, certain taxpayers may still be able to take advantage of the mortgage interest deduction.

When Is It Beneficial to Take a Mortgage Interest Deduction?

Consider a couple in the 24 percent income tax bracket who paid $20,500 in mortgage interest the previous year. They wonder if itemising deductions will result in a bigger tax advantage this year than the standard deduction of $25,100. If the total of their itemised deductions exceeds the standard deduction, they will get a bigger tax break.

By combining their itemized deductions, including mortgage interest, they come up with $32,750 in deductible items. This provides more benefit than the standard deduction since it is larger: $7,860 ($32,750 x 24%) compared to $6,024 ($25,100 x 24%).

When the Mortgage Interest Deduction Is Not Beneficial

Individuals in the same tax bracket with a tax obligation of 24% also wonder whether itemizing taxes will lower their tax bill. In the previous year, the taxpayer paid $9,700 in mortgage interest, but only had $1,500 of deductions that qualified for itemization. Single taxpayers will have a standard deduction of $12,550 in 2021. The itemized deductions ($11,200) are less than the standard deduction for the tax year, so itemizing is not beneficial for a taxpayer.

In other words, homeowners do not gain from the interest they pay, and they do not benefit from the mortgage interest deduction.

The Bottom Line

In order to claim a tax deduction for mortgage interest paid by homeowners who itemize their taxes, their mortgage interest deduction must be claimed. As a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the mortgage interest deduction limit changed from $1 million to $750,000, meaning an interest deduction may now be claimed on the first $750,000 of the mortgage, rather than on the first $1 million. Nevertheless, homeowners may benefit from the legacy clauses that exempt them from the new rules.