Tax Benefits of Home Ownership
It is springtime. The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and tax season is over. It also a time of the year where many people are looking to buy a home. There are many benefits to buying a home. Owning a home can provide long term stability, can be a good investment, and can also provide tax benefits. What I will be discussing in this month’s newsletter is the tax benefits of home ownership. Did you know the government helps to pay for the costs of your home? The government does assist in the cost of home ownership through tax deductions and credits.
Tax deductions
The two primary tax deductions for home ownership are the mortgage interest deduction as well the real estate property tax deduction.
Mortgage interest deduction: In order to deduct the mortgage interest on a home the mortgage or loan has to be secured by the home, the taxpayer has to own the home, and the taxpayer has to have the legal obligation to pay the loan. You can deduct interest on a primary mortgage (1st mortgage) up to $1,000,000. If the mortgage exceeds $1,000,000 then the amount of mortgage interest is prorated based on the amount of the mortgage in excess of $1,000,000. A taxpayer can also deduct mortgage interest on 2nd and even 3rd mortgages but all of the mortgages combined cannot exceed the $1,000,000 threshold. In addition, a taxpayer can deduct interest on a home equity loan or line of credit up to $100,000. The total amount of all mortgages including the line of credit are limited to $1,100,000. A taxpayer is also entitled to deduct the interest on a second home or vacation home but the total amount of all mortgages between the two homes cannot exceed the $1,000,000 threshold. The taxpayer can only deduct the interest on a maximum of two homes. A taxpayer can also deduct points or pre-paid interest on the purchase of a home or refinancing of a home. In the purchase of a home the points are usually fully deductible, however the points on a refinance have to be amortized over the term of the loan.
Real estate property taxes: A homeowner can also deduct real estate property taxes on their home. In addition to their personal residence taxpayer’s can also deduct the property taxes of a 2nd home or multiple homes, land, and investment real estate. Typically there is no limitation on how much of the real estate taxes are deductible however in some cases the real estate tax deduction may be limited because the real estate tax deduction is an adjustment in calculating the alternative minimum tax.
Credits
In addition to tax deductions taxpayers can also receive some tax credits if they own a home. Two of the more popular tax credits are solar tax credit and energy efficient tax credits
Solar tax credit: If you own your personal residence and you install a solar electrical system on your home you may be entitled to a generous tax credit. This credit is typically 30% of the total cost of the unit. The installed unit has to be on your personal residence and it is limited to the tax liability of the taxpayer. Any unused credit can be carried over to future years.
Energy efficient credits: Taxpayers can also take advantage of energy efficient additions or improvements to their personal residence. As the name implies these additions or improvements have to be energy efficient which means that they have to reduce energy costs. Some of these energy efficient improvements include water heaters, windows, furnace, HVAC unit, metal roofs, some circulating fans, and some appliances.