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Easy Mistakes when Filing Your Taxes

EASY MISTAKES WHEN FILING YOUR TAXES

Easy mistakes when filing your taxes. Tax season is always rough and when you’re a homeowner, there are definitely mistakes you certainly want to avoid. Here are a few:

Make sure you’re deducting the right year of property taxes for 2021.

Pay for the year of property tax is paid even if it’s labeled a different year. The IRS only cares what you paid during 2021.

Your Escrow amount does not equal the Actual Taxes paid.

Lenders take out enough money to their estimated amount for taxes plus a little more or a little less. This usually your property tax bill may be different than that amount escrowed by your lender. You lender will send you a Form 1098 showing exactly how much they paid from your escrow account for your property taxes. Use that form for your taxes.

Not tracking Home-Related Expenses.

Keep the records you use for your tax deductions in either paper or electronic form. If you have sold or purchased property in the Desert during 2021, you’ll especially want to keep the following records from the sale.

DocumentHow Long to Keep It
Home sale closing documents, including closing statementAs long as you own the property + 3 years
Deed to the houseAs long as you own the property
Builder’s warranty or service contract for new home Until the warranty period ends
Community/condo association covenants, codes, restrictions (CC&Rs)As long as you own the property
Receipts for capital improvementsAs long as you own the property + 3 years
Mortgage payoff statements (certificate of satisfaction or lien release)Forever, just in case a lender says, “Hey, you still owe us money.”

From Houselogic.com

Claiming too much of your Mortgage Interest Deduction.

According to Houselogic, “If you’re eligible to itemize, the MID loan limit is $750,000. Before Dec. 16, 2017, the limit was $1 million.  Make sure your loan is grandfathered before claiming the old limit. 

Interest paid on home equity loans and second mortgages is deductible, but only if the proceeds of such loans were used to substantially improve the home that secures the loan. You can’t deduct interest on home equity loans that were used for things like student loans or cars.  

And the amount of all mortgage loans (first, second, home equity, and loans for a second home) can’t exceed the $750,000 or $1 million limits.”

This post is to provide general information but shouldn’t be relied upon as tax or legal advice applicable to any transactions or circumstances. Please consult your tax professional for such advice.

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