Each year around April, we can find ourselves becoming a little more tense at the thought of what is about to occur: tax time.
Instead of falling into the trap of procrastinating your taxes, however, it’s much more beneficial to face tax time head-on and do your research on your applicable deductions well in advance.
Your home is good for many things, but using your home to reduce your tax burden may be one benefit you haven’t thought of.
Here are some tax benefits that can be leveraged with your home, and some ways to lower your tax bill in 2014.
Deduct Interest On Home Loans
Though interest paid on personal loans isn’t deductible on your tax return, interest paid on mortgages is.
Home mortgage interest, for both your primary residence and a second home such as an investment property, can account for a large bill near the end of the year, and can significantly decrease your tax bill for 2014.
Interest paid on a line of credit for your home or a home equity loan is also usually deductible, and you may also qualify to deduct the insurance premiums on your private mortgage if this was a requirement from your lender. Ensure you keep your Form 1098 from you lender, and be sure not to miss each of your interest deductions.
Deducting Points Paid For A Better Rate
If you paid points in order to get a better interest rate on your home mortgage, the IRS will allow you to deduct these, too. If you meet the requirements for this deduction, one of which is that you paid the points in the same year that you purchased your primary residence, be sure to add the points to your list of deductions.
Deduct Property Taxes
Property taxes are also deductible on your tax return, and s