Form 1098 Mortgage Interest Statement - multiple borrowers but only 2 names appearing on the 1098 form

This is actually a common issue with Form 1098 reporting! The IRS rules on this are pretty straightforward - the person who actually pays the mortgage interest can claim the deduction, regardless of whose name is on the 1098 form. Since you're making 100% of the payments, you're entitled to deduct 100% of the mortgage interest on your tax return. When you file, you'll need to report the information from the 1098 on your Schedule A, but you should include a brief statement explaining that you paid the interest even though your name isn't on the form. Your siblings should not claim any of this mortgage interest on their returns since they didn't pay it. The fact that their names are on the 1098 doesn't automatically give them the right to the deduction - it's about who actually paid the money. If you're using tax software, there should be an option to indicate that you paid mortgage interest that was reported under someone else's name/SSN. Keep good records of your payments in case of questions later!

I went through almost the exact same situation last year with my mortgage at Chase! The 1098 only had my parents' names even though I was making all the payments. I found this awesome service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really helped me sort it out. I uploaded my 1098 and loan docs to their system, and they analyzed everything and showed me exactly how to claim the mortgage interest deduction properly. They even created a custom explanation letter that I could attach to my tax return explaining why I was claiming a deduction from a 1098 that didn't have my name on it. Their system is super straightforward and takes like 5 minutes to use. Honestly saved me a ton of headache and worry about potentially getting flagged by the IRS for a mismatch.

Just wanted to follow up - I ended up trying taxr.ai after seeing this thread and it was actually a huge help with my mortgage interest issue. The system is super straightforward and gave me detailed guidance that matched what my accountant told me (but without the $150 consultation fee lol). The documentation they provided about claiming mortgage interest paid on a property where multiple people are on the loan but not all on the 1098 was exactly what I needed. The best part was it took me through exactly how to report it properly in TurboTax with screenshots and everything. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with this mortgage interest allocation situation. Saved me a lot of stress about potentially getting flagged for a mismatch.

If you're having trouble getting through to someone at Citizens Bank about this issue, I went through something similar with Wells Fargo and used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually get a human on the phone. They have this system that navigates phone trees and waits on hold for you, then calls you when a real person is on the line. I needed to get confirmation from the bank about my mortgage situation for tax purposes, and was getting nowhere with their normal customer service. With Claimyr, I got through to a mortgage specialist in about 20 minutes instead of being on hold for hours. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The mortgage specialist I spoke with was able to email me a letter confirming I was a legal borrower on the loan even though my name wasn't on the 1098, which was super helpful for my tax documentation.

Ok I need to apologize to Profile 16 and admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After seeing this thread I was desperate enough to try it with Capital One's mortgage department yesterday. I'd been trying for THREE WEEKS to get someone to talk to me about my 1098 situation. Claimyr had me on with an actual mortgage specialist within 40 minutes (while I was making dinner, not sitting there listening to hold music). The guy I spoke with was able to send me a letter confirming my status on the loan which should help with my tax situation. I'm still annoyed that banks make it so difficult to reach them, but at least I finally got what I needed. Just wanted to follow up since I was so skeptical before.

Just to add another perspective - I'm a bit confused about some of the advice here. My mom and I are both on her mortgage but the bank only put her name on the 1098. I pay about 40% of the mortgage payments directly to the bank from my account. Does that mean I can claim 40% of the interest? How would I document that?

I just want to make sure I understand correctly - if I'm not itemizing deductions (just taking standard deduction), then it doesn't matter whose name is on the 1098, right? Because I won't be claiming the mortgage interest anyway?

This is a really common situation that trips up a lot of people! The key thing to remember is that the IRS cares about who actually paid the mortgage interest, not whose name appears on the 1098 form. Since you're making 100% of the payments, you can absolutely claim 100% of the mortgage interest deduction on your tax return. When you file, you'll want to include a brief explanation with your return stating something like: "Mortgage interest paid by taxpayer although Form 1098 issued to other borrowers due to lender reporting limitations." Your brother and sister should NOT claim any of this mortgage interest on their returns since they didn't pay it. The fact that their names are on the 1098 doesn't give them the right to the deduction - it's all about who actually made the payments. Make sure to keep good records of all your mortgage payments (bank statements, canceled checks, etc.) in case the IRS has any questions later. This documentation will clearly show that you were the one making the payments throughout the year. If you're using tax software, look for an option that lets you indicate you paid mortgage interest reported under someone else's name/SSN. Most major tax programs have provisions for this exact situation.