Any points that you pay in the refinancing of your residence are tax deductible over the length of the loan in question. The deduction is allowable only if the residence is your primary home and the new mortgage replaces a previous one and/or is used to improve the residence. To the extent that money is taken out to pay off credit cards and non-residence costs, the points may not be used as a tax deduction.
Big Deductions By Refinancing Twice
If you refinanced your primary residence twice during 2004, you may be in for a very nice surprise. A significant tax deduction can be created when you refinance twice in one year. If you refinance a mortgage, you accelerate the deductible amount of points from the first mortgage and may claim the points from the first mortgage all at once.
As an example, assume that I refinanced my home in January 2004 and paid $3,000 in points. Interest rates continued to drop through 2004 and I then decided to refinance again in August. Because I paid off the original loan with the refinance, I am able to accelerate the value of the points of the January loan.
So, what tax deductions have I created for my 2004 filing period? Initially, I am going to deduct a percentage of the points off of my latest refinance. The deduction will amount to the total amount of points paid divided by the total months of the loan. This will not be a big deduction, but every little bit helps.
In addition to this amount, however, I will also deduct the full $3,000 in points that I paid on my January 2004 refinance! I am able to claim this deduction because I "accelerated" the deductibility of the points by paying of January mortgage with the August refinance.
By refinancing twice, I get a lower interest rate and a healthy tax deduction. Ah, the value of owning a home.
About the Author: Richard Chapo is CEO of http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com - Obtaining tax refunds for small businesses by finding overlooked tax deductions and credits through a free tax return review.
Creating Your Own Wealth and Managing Your Finances
Personal finance is a scary subject for some people because it conjures up all sorts of personal fears about budgeting, managing investments and buying Vs renting a home. Fear and anxiety are common responses to the topic of personal finance...read more
Home Equity Loan Refinance - Important Facts
Refinance refers to applying for a secured loan intended to
replace an existing loan secured by the same assets.You must
speak with a finacial advisor before you decide to refinance.
Refinancing the loan you had taken at higher rates is a...read more
Should You Consider Home Refinance, or Not?
Home refinance seems to be the craze these days with interest rates at all time lows. However, you need to do some home refinance research before you will know if it is for you or not. In general, if you bought a home when interest rates were...read more
Using the internet to manage your family’s finance
The effectiveness of managing family finances has never been more significant, as parents struggle to find a balance between work and family life. A recent study by Mother and Baby magazine has found that new parents are getting less sleep than...read more
Women And Your Finances
Your finances don’t have to be a problem and you don’t need to be complacent and let your husband do all the finances. You have to know what’s going on for your own self-preservation. Money is a subject too easily walked around. It’s one of the top...read more
