My 1098 form shows $0 for property tax - how to find what was actually paid?

The 1098 might show zero, but your property tax payments should still be tracked somewhere! First, check your escrow statements - they're separate from your mortgage statements and detail everything paid from your escrow account. Most lenders send these annually or make them available online. If you can't find escrow statements, contact your county tax assessor's office. They maintain records of all property tax payments and can provide documentation showing exactly what was paid, when, and by whom. This is actually the most reliable source since they're the ones receiving the payments. For the home you sold, look at your closing statement (HUD-1 or Closing Disclosure) - it should show prorated property taxes and who was responsible for them at closing. For your new home, the same documents should show if you prepaid any taxes or if they were handled through escrow.

After spending days trying to find my property tax info for my 1098 that showed $0 (similar situation), I finally used https://taxr.ai and uploaded my closing documents + escrow statements. Their system extracted all the property tax data automatically and showed exactly what was paid through each escrow account, even identifying mid-year prorations. Saved me hours of digging through documents and trying to calculate everything manually. The crazy thing was it found property tax payments in my escrow account that weren't reflected on my 1098 - almost $4,800 that I would have missed claiming! Apparently my lender had categorized them incorrectly in their system.

I was really suspicious about using a service like taxr.ai, but after waiting on hold with my county tax office for over an hour and getting nowhere, I gave it a try. Uploaded my closing documents and within minutes it extracted all my property tax information that was completely missing from my 1098. Turns out my lender paid over $3,200 in property taxes that never showed up on my 1098 form! The system even generated a statement I could use for my tax return. Way easier than I expected and saved me from missing a substantial deduction. Wish I'd known about this before spending hours digging through paperwork and making failed phone calls.

I had this exact problem last year! After spending HOURS on hold with my mortgage company, I used https://claimyr.com to get a callback from the IRS (there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c). They connected me directly to an IRS agent who explained that I could still claim property taxes even if the 1098 showed zero. The IRS agent told me to get documentation from my county tax assessor showing the payments were made, and that would be sufficient for my records in case of an audit. The call saved me so much time versus waiting on hold, and I was able to claim about $5,600 in property tax deductions that weren't showing on my 1098.

I hate to admit when I'm wrong, but after my skeptical comment, I actually tried Claimyr out of desperation. I had called the IRS three separate times about my property tax deduction issue and got disconnected each time after waiting 30+ minutes. The service actually worked exactly as advertised - I got a call back from an IRS agent within about 90 minutes. The agent confirmed that county tax records are sufficient documentation even when the 1098 shows zero, and explained exactly how to document everything in case of an audit. Saved me from taking a day off work just to sit on hold. Definitely worth it for complicated tax situations like this.

Another place to check is your bank statements from the months when property taxes are typically due in your area (varies by county). Look for large withdrawals from your escrow account - they usually have some description like "TAX PAYMENT" or the name of your county treasurer. Also, if you have your previous year's tax return, check if you claimed property taxes then. If so, the amount might be similar (though not exact) and could give you a ballpark figure to work with until you get official documentation.

Has anyone successfully claimed property tax deductions without the 1098 showing it? I'm worried the IRS will flag my return if I claim property taxes that don't match what's on my 1098 form.

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! What finally worked for me was requesting an "escrow analysis" statement directly from my mortgage servicer - this is different from your regular mortgage statements and shows a detailed breakdown of all payments made from your escrow account throughout the year. Most servicers are required to provide this annually, but you can request it specifically. It will show every property tax payment made, even if your 1098 shows zero. I had to escalate past the first-level customer service (they didn't even know what I was talking about), but once I got to someone in the escrow department, they sent it right over. Also, keep your closing documents handy - they often show prorated property tax amounts that you paid at closing, which are also deductible but easy to overlook. Between the escrow analysis and closing docs, I found over $4,200 in deductible property taxes that weren't on my 1098.

This is such a common and frustrating issue! I went through the same thing when we refinanced our home mid-year. Here's what I learned from my CPA: the 1098 only reports what the lender considers "qualified" property tax payments, and sometimes there are timing issues or coding errors on their end. Your best bet is to get a complete payment history from your county tax collector's office (not just the assessor). They can provide an official statement showing all property tax payments made on your properties during the tax year, regardless of who made them. Most counties now have online portals where you can download these reports instantly using your property address or parcel number. Don't forget about the property taxes you may have prepaid at closing for your new home, or any prorated amounts you were credited for when you sold your old home. These are often overlooked but are legitimate deductions. The key is having documentation that shows the taxes were actually paid during the tax year - the IRS doesn't care that your 1098 is wrong, they just need proof the payments were made.