Can I claim Mother's Mortgage Interest on my taxes if I paid it but am not on the loan?
So I've been living in this house for about 10 years that my mom helped me buy. She's the only one on the mortgage loan, but both our names are on the deed (50/50 ownership). I've been paying the mortgage entirely from my own checking account since day one - I have all the bank statements proving I made every payment. This is the first year I'm planning to itemize my deductions instead of taking the standard deduction, and I'm wondering if I can claim the mortgage interest I paid. The way I see it: 1. I have clear documented ownership interest (my name is on the deed) 2. I physically paid 100% of the mortgage payments including interest (all from my bank account) If I can take the deduction, I'm confused whether I get to claim all 100% of the interest (since I paid all of it) or just 50% (since I only own half the house according to the deed). This whole thing only gets me an extra $266 on my tax refund, so I'm honestly not sure if it's even worth the hassle if I'd have to defend it during an audit. But then again, $266 is $266... don't want to leave money on the table if I'm legally entitled to it.
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Emily Thompson
You've got an interesting situation here! Since you're the one who actually paid the mortgage interest, you can potentially claim the deduction even though you're not on the loan. The IRS looks at who paid the interest and who has legal obligation for the debt. In your case, you have ownership interest (name on the deed) and you made the payments from your account. The fact that you're not on the loan doesn't automatically disqualify you. Form 1098 will likely be issued in your mother's name, but you can still claim the deduction with proper documentation. As for how much you can deduct, since you paid 100% of the interest, you can potentially deduct 100% of it. The ownership percentage doesn't limit your deduction amount - what matters is who paid the interest. Just make sure you keep detailed records showing you made all the payments. For $266, it's probably worth claiming if you're confident in your documentation. If audited, you'll need to prove you made the payments and that you have ownership interest - both of which you say you can do.
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Sophie Hernandez
•Thanks for the info! If the 1098 is in the mom's name, wouldn't she need to claim it though? Would the IRS get confused seeing the same mortgage interest claimed on two different returns?
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Emily Thompson
•The 1098 being in your mother's name doesn't mean she has to claim it. The IRS actually has procedures for this situation. Since you paid the interest, you should claim it, and your mother should not claim the interest she didn't pay. The IRS won't get confused if you handle it properly. In your tax software or on your return, you'll need to include a statement explaining that you paid mortgage interest that was reported to someone else (your mother). Include her name, address, and taxpayer ID number on this statement. This helps the IRS match everything up correctly and prevents any double-dipping concerns.
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Daniela Rossi
When I had a similar issue last year with a joint property purchase, I tried using tax software but kept getting confused about how to enter the mortgage interest that wasn't in my name. I started using https://taxr.ai and it was super helpful! The system analyzed my mortgage statements and bank records, then guided me through exactly how to claim the interest I paid even though the 1098 form was in someone else's name. It helped me create the proper documentation to submit with my return to explain the situation to the IRS. Saved me from potentially making a mistake or missing out on deductions I was entitled to. Might be worth checking out for your situation!
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Ryan Kim
•Did you have to upload your actual bank statements to the site? I'm always paranoid about sharing financial docs online.
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Zoe Walker
•How does it handle the 1098 situation exactly? Like does it create some kind of special form or attachment that explains why you're claiming interest from a 1098 that has someone else's name on it?
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Daniela Rossi
•You can upload bank statements if you want, but it's not required - you can also just enter the information manually. They use the same security as banks do for protecting documents, but I understand the concern. For the 1098 situation, it creates a supplemental statement that attaches to your tax return explaining your legal right to claim the deduction. It formats everything exactly how the IRS expects to see it, with all the required information like the mortgage holder's name, SSN, and your explanation of why you're entitled to claim it even though the form is in someone else's name. Makes it really clear to prevent any confusion when the IRS processes your return.
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Zoe Walker
Just wanted to update - tried out https://taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here. It was super helpful for my similar situation with my dad's loan but my payments. The system walked me through documenting everything properly and created that supplemental statement explaining why I'm entitled to claim the interest. What surprised me was how it spotted a couple other deductions related to my home situation that I was completely missing! Ended up adding about $400 more to my refund beyond just the mortgage interest. Definitely worth checking out if you've got any kind of non-standard homeownership arrangement.
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Elijah Brown
If you end up having any issues with the IRS questioning this deduction (probably won't happen but just in case), I had great luck using https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent. I was on hold for HOURS trying to sort out a similar mortgage interest issue where the 1098 was in my ex's name but I was paying everything post-divorce. Used Claimyr and got connected to a real person at the IRS in about 15 minutes who walked me through exactly what documentation I needed. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Seriously saved my sanity during tax season.
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Maria Gonzalez
•Isn't this just paying to cut in line? Doesn't seem fair to those who can't afford another service on top of everything else.
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Natalie Chen
•I'm skeptical. The IRS phone system is notoriously terrible. How could some third-party service possibly get through when millions of people with legitimate needs can't?
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Elijah Brown
•It's not about cutting in line - they use a system that automatically redials when there are openings in the queue. Everyone still waits their turn, but the system does the waiting for you so you don't have to sit with your phone for hours. They use technology to navigate the IRS phone tree and then call you once they've secured a place in line with an actual agent. I was skeptical too until I tried it. I spent 3+ hours on multiple days trying to get through myself with no luck. With Claimyr, I was talking to an IRS agent in under 20 minutes while I was making dinner. The agent answered all my questions about my specific mortgage interest situation and even noted my account so there wouldn't be confusion when I filed.
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Natalie Chen
I have to eat my words. After my skeptical comment, I tried Claimyr out of desperation when I needed to talk to the IRS about a similar mortgage interest question (my partner's on the loan, I'm just on the deed but make payments). After trying for TWO WEEKS to get through to the IRS myself, I got connected to an agent in about 25 minutes using their service. The agent confirmed that I could claim the interest since I paid it, and explained exactly what documentation I needed to include with my return. They even put notes in my file so if there were questions later, there would be a record of our conversation. Saved me from potentially losing a $1,200 deduction I was entitled to. Should've been less skeptical!
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Santiago Martinez
No one's mentioned this yet, but remember that deducting mortgage interest only helps if your TOTAL itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction (which is pretty high now). For 2025, standard deduction is $13,850 for single filers and $27,700 for married filing jointly. Unless your mortgage interest plus all other itemized deductions (state/local taxes, charitable contributions, etc.) exceed those amounts, you're better off just taking the standard deduction anyway. Just something to consider before spending too much time on this.
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Jacob Lee
•Thanks for bringing this up! In my case, I've already calculated that my total itemized deductions will be about $1,000 more than the standard deduction, even without the mortgage interest. I've got some significant medical expenses this year that pushed me over the threshold, plus state taxes and charitable donations. The mortgage interest is just icing on the cake at this point.
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Santiago Martinez
•Ah, that makes perfect sense! If you're already itemizing for other reasons, then absolutely go for claiming that mortgage interest. Every dollar counts in that case. Given your situation with already being over the standard deduction threshold, I'd definitely claim the full amount of interest you paid. Just make sure you include a clear explanation statement with your return about why you're claiming interest from a 1098 that has your mother's name on it. Good luck!
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Samantha Johnson
My tax guy told me that the mortgage interest follows the legal obligation to pay the debt. Since your mom is the only one on the mortgage, technically she's the only one legally obligated to pay it regardless of who actually makes the payments. He wouldn't let me claim interest on my son's mortgage even though I paid it all because I wasn't on the loan documents.
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Emily Thompson
•Your tax guy is generally right, but there's an important exception that applies to the original poster's situation. When someone has an ownership interest in the property (name on the deed) AND makes the payments from their account, they can claim the deduction even without being on the loan. The key is having both ownership interest and making the payments. The IRS has addressed this in several rulings. If you only made payments but had no ownership interest, then your tax person was correct in your specific case.
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