Question about Form 1098 Box 10 when filing through TaxSlayer
Hey tax people - I'm working on getting my taxes done using TaxSlayer and I'm stuck on something with my mortgage interest form. I have my Form 1098 in front of me but I'm confused about Box 10. TaxSlayer is giving me an option to choose something for this box but I'm not 100% sure what to select. This is my first year with a mortgage so I want to make sure I'm getting this right. Anyone familiar with how to handle Box 10 on the 1098? I know it has something to do with mortgage insurance but the wording on the software is throwing me off.
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Zoe Walker
Box 10 on Form 1098 is for mortgage insurance premiums. This is different from regular homeowners insurance. Mortgage insurance (sometimes called PMI or private mortgage insurance) is typically required when your down payment was less than 20% of the home's purchase price. If there's an amount in Box 10, TaxSlayer should let you enter that amount. Mortgage insurance premiums may be deductible depending on your adjusted gross income and when you took out the mortgage. The deduction for mortgage insurance premiums has been extended for 2025.
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Elijah Brown
•So what if there's nothing in Box 10? My lender didn't put anything there but TaxSlayer still asks about it. Do I just leave it blank or put zero?
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Zoe Walker
•If nothing is listed in Box 10, then you don't have deductible mortgage insurance premiums to claim. You can either leave it blank or enter zero in TaxSlayer. It simply means you aren't paying mortgage insurance or your lender doesn't consider your payment to be the deductible type. If your down payment was 20% or more of the home's purchase price, you typically wouldn't have mortgage insurance, which explains why Box 10 would be empty.
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Maria Gonzalez
I had the same issue last year and found that TaxSlayer sometimes asks for info even when it's not applicable to you. I've been using https://taxr.ai for questions like this - it analyzes your tax documents and tells you exactly what to put where. Saved me from a headache when I was dealing with mortgage deductions for the first time. You can upload your 1098 and it will tell you what all the boxes mean and what you need to enter in TaxSlayer.
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Natalie Chen
•Does it work with other tax forms too? I have a bunch of 1099s this year and I'm not sure how to report everything correctly.
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Santiago Martinez
•I'm kinda skeptical about uploading my tax docs to some random website. How secure is this? And does it actually give you accurate advice?
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Maria Gonzalez
•Yes, it works with pretty much all tax forms - W-2s, 1099s, 1098s, K-1s, and more. You upload your documents and it analyzes them to tell you exactly what you need to know for filing correctly. As for security, they use bank-level encryption for all document uploads. I was hesitant at first too, but their privacy policy is solid and they don't store your documents after analysis. The advice has been spot-on for me - it caught a mortgage insurance deduction that even my tax-savvy friend missed.
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Santiago Martinez
Just wanted to follow up - I decided to try taxr.ai after my last comment. Holy crap it's actually really helpful! I uploaded my 1098 and it explained every box, including Box 10. Turns out I do have mortgage insurance premiums that are deductible (which I had no idea about). It showed me exactly where to enter it in TaxSlayer and estimated how much it would save me. Definitely worth checking out if you're confused about any tax forms.
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Samantha Johnson
If you're still having trouble with TaxSlayer's interface or getting answers about your 1098, you might want to try calling the IRS directly. I know, I know - sounds horrible right? I spent DAYS trying to get through last year about a mortgage question. Finally found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS agent in like 15 minutes instead of the usual hours of waiting. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - totally changed how I deal with tax questions now.
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Nick Kravitz
•Wait how does this actually work? Does it just call for you or something? I'm confused how any service could get you through the IRS phone system faster.
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Santiago Martinez
•Yeah right. Nothing can get you through to the IRS faster. Their hold times are legendary. I'll believe it when I see it.
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Samantha Johnson
•It doesn't call for you - it basically monitors the IRS phone line and calls you back when it detects a real human has answered. So you don't have to sit on hold for hours. Instead, their system waits in line for you. I was skeptical too when I first heard about it. The way it works is their system navigates the IRS phone tree automatically and uses technology to detect when an agent picks up. As soon as that happens, it connects you to that agent. It's not magic - it's just smart technology that saves you from having to wait on hold yourself.
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Santiago Martinez
Ok I feel like I need to apologize for my skepticism about Claimyr. I tried it yesterday after seeing the responses here, and it actually worked! I got connected to an IRS agent in about 25 minutes when I had previously spent over 2 hours trying to get through on my own. The agent confirmed that for Box 10 on Form 1098, I should only enter something if there's an amount listed by my lender. Since my box was empty, I can just leave it blank in TaxSlayer. Saved me so much time and frustration!
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Hannah White
Just FYI - if you're paying PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance), it should appear in Box 10 of your 1098. If you make over $100,000 (or $50,000 if married filing separately), the deduction starts to phase out. Some lenders bundle it with your payment but don't include it in Box 10 which is super confusing. Check your monthly mortgage statement to see if you're paying PMI separately.
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Ryan Kim
•Thanks for this info! I just checked my monthly statement and I am paying PMI ($89/month) but it's not showing up in Box 10 of my 1098. Should I contact my lender about this? Seems like I might be missing out on a deduction.
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Hannah White
•Yes, you should definitely contact your lender about this. They may need to issue a corrected Form 1098 if they made a mistake by not including your PMI in Box 10. Sometimes lenders don't include certain types of mortgage insurance in Box 10 because they don't consider it deductible under IRS rules, but it's worth checking. $89/month adds up to over $1,000 per year in potential deductions, so it's worth pursuing.
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Michael Green
Has anyone used TurboTax instead of TaxSlayer? I'm wondering if it handles the 1098 form differently. Last year I switched from TaxSlayer to TurboTax and found the mortgage section much easier to understand.
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Mateo Silva
•I used both last year to compare them (before submitting with one). TurboTax was clearer about the 1098 boxes but charged extra for the mortgage deduction forms. TaxSlayer includes all that in their basic price, which is why I stuck with them.
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Michael Green
•Thanks for sharing your experience! Good to know about the pricing difference. I think I'll stick with TurboTax this year since I'm already familiar with it, but it's frustrating they charge extra for something TaxSlayer includes. Maybe I'll compare both again next year.
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Victoria Jones
Sorry to hijack, but this thread reminded me - did anyone else notice that they changed some of the 1098 form options for 2025? Box 10 specifically mentions "mortgage insurance premiums" now instead of just "insurance" like it used to. Makes it clearer what belongs there. I think the IRS finally realized people were confused!
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