Form 1098: Mortgage Interest Statement

What Is Form 1098: Mortgage Interest Statement?

Form 1098: Mortgage Interest Statement is an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) form that is used by taxpayers to report the amount of interest and related expenses paid on a mortgage during the tax year when the amount totals $600 or more. Related expenses include points paid on the purchase of the property. Points refer to prepaid interest made on a home loan to improve the rate on the mortgage offered by the lending institution.

Form 1098 serves two purposes:

Who Can File Form 1098: Mortgage Interest Statement?

If you paid $600 or more for the previous year in interest and points on a mortgage, your lender is required to send Form 1098 to you. If you paid less than $600, you will not receive Form 1098. These expenses can be used as deductions on a federal income tax form, Schedule A, which reduces taxable income and the overall amount owed to the IRS. Form 1098 is issued and mailed by the lender — or other entity receiving the interest — to you, the borrower.

The mortgage lender is required by the IRS to provide Form 1098 to you if your property is considered real property. Real property is land and anything that is built on, grown on, or attached to the land.

The property for which the mortgage interest payments must meet IRS standards, which define home as a space that has basic living amenities: cooking and bathroom facilities and a sleeping area. Houses, condominiums, mobile homes, boats, cooperatives, and house trailers all qualify as a home according to the IRS.

Also, the mortgage itself must be qualified. According to the IRS, qualified mortgages include first and second mortgages, home equity loans, and refinanced mortgages.

Rules for Deducting Mortgage Interest

Whether or not you need Form 1098 depends on whether or not you plan to itemize your deductions on the Schedule A Form. Claiming a deduction for mortgage interest paid when can reduce your total taxable income. However, there are a few rules to know about deducting mortgage interest.

If all of these apply to you, then you would need Form 1098 to deduct the mortgage interest you paid for your home loan for the current tax year. If you have more than one qualified mortgage, then you will receive a separate Form 1098 for each one.

All copies of Form 1098 are available on the IRS website.

How to File Form 1098: Mortgage Interest Deduction

Taxpayers don't need to actually include Form 1098 with their tax returns because the information included in the form has already been provided to the IRS. Rather, taxpayers use the information provided on Form 1098 if they plan to deduct their mortgage payments. If you’re planning to file your tax return electronically, you enter the information from the form into the appropriate boxes on your tax return to record your interest deduction information.

If you’re receiving a Form 1098 for the first time, you may wonder how to make sense of it. There are 11 boxes to take note of when reviewing your statement.

When reviewing Form 1098, it’s important to verify that all of your personal information, including your name, address, and tax identification number, is accurate.

Other 1098 Tax Forms

Form 1098: Mortgage Interest Deduction is one of four forms that includes the number 1098. All 1098 forms are related to deductions. The three other versions of Form 1098 are Form 1098-C, Form 1098-E, and Form 1098-T.

Form 1098-C

Form 1098-C details the donations of automobiles, boats, and airplanes to charitable organizations that give the vehicles to the needy or sell them at a below-market price. It is filed and reported by the recipient organization and includes the date of donation, type of vehicle, vehicle identification number (VIN), and value of the vehicle.

Form 1098-E

Form 1098-E reports the interest paid on qualified student loans during the tax year. The interest paid can be deducted by the taxpayer, who will receive the form detailing how much interest was paid that year. It is sent by the lending institution if at least $600 was paid in interest, although the taxpayer may get a form for sums less than $600.

Form 1098-T

Form 1098-T provides information about post-secondary tuition and related fees during the year. It is filed by the educational institution and can be used to calculate education-related tax deductions and credits, such as the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) and the Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC). The form also reports any scholarships and grants received through the school that may reduce the taxpayer’s allowable deduction or credit.

Taxpayers who have received assistance from the Housing Finance Agency Innovation Fund for the Hardest Hit Housing Markets (HFA Hardest Hit Fund) receive Form 1098-MA, which they can use to report these payments.

1098 Form FAQs

What Is a 1098 Tax Form Used For?

Form 1098 reports the total amount of interest paid on a mortgage during the previous year. Taxpayers use it to calculate the size of the mortgage interest deduction they can take, if any, for that tax year.

How Do I Get My 1098 Form?

Your mortgage lender sends your Form 1098 to you, generally by the end of January of the filing year.

Do I Need to File 1098?

No, you don't have to actually file Form 1098 — that is, submit it with your tax return. You only have to indicate the amount of interest reported by the form. And you generally only report this interest if you are itemizing deductions on your tax return.

What Is a 1098 Tax Form From College?

Form 1098-T is used by colleges and universities to report payments received by students for qualified tuition and other expenses, like scholarships and grants. It is filed with the IRS by the educational institution, and the student receives a copy. Taxpayers use the info on Form 1098-T to claim an education credit on Form 1040 (the tax return).

Does the Parent or Student Claim the 1098-T?

Either can do so (but not both). Generally, it depends on who is actually paying the educational expenses, and if the student is still being listed and taken as a dependent on the parent's tax return. If they are, the parent usually claims the education credit, based on the Form 1098-T info.