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The Daily Insight

Do you have to claim mortgage interest on your taxes?

Author

Sarah Duran

Published Feb 28, 2026

Taxpayers can deduct the interest paid on first and second mortgages up to $1,000,000 in mortgage debt (the limit is $500,000 if married and filing separately). Any interest paid on first or second mortgages over this amount is not tax deductible.

Can You claim mortgage interest on your tax return?

Essentially you can claim a mortgage interest deduction on your tax return for any expenses related to the interest paid on your mortgage. This has not changed in 2019; however there are some key nuances related to the deduction limits and standard deductions, including the following:

Can you write off mortgage interest if you don’t work?

The mortgage interest deduction allows you to write off the mortgage interest on up to $1.1 million of mortgage debt as long as you itemize your deductions. Depending on the amount of other income you have, you can still claim some or all of the deduction on your taxes, but if you’re not working, the value of the deduction might be limited.

Do you have to have secured debt to claim mortgage interest deduction?

You must have secured debt on a qualified home in which you have an ownership interest. You must file your federal income taxes using Form 1040 and itemize deductions on Schedule A. What Is a Secured Debt for the Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction?

Are there any changes to the mortgage interest deduction?

Owning your own home comes with some nice tax perks. One of them is the home mortgage interest deduction. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) affected this deduction somewhat when it went into effect in 2018, but the legislation did not eliminate the deduction from the tax code entirely. 1  It just sets some limits and restrictions.

So, it doesn’t matter who receives Form 1098—if you own a qualified home with someone else and you paid mortgage interest (and itemize deductions on Schedule A), you can claim your share of the money-saving mortgage interest tax deduction.

Are there any tax deductions for mortgage interest in Canada?

After the homeowners took legal actions, the Supreme Court sided with the Canadian Government, officially proclaiming that tax deductions could not be made on mortgage interest payments, unless the home is generating an income because you are renting it out. What if You Use Your House to Run a Small Business?

Can a mortgage loan be claimed for income tax in India?

No! Income Tax Benefits on a Mortgage Loan is not available in India as of now. However, If the Mortgage Loan has been taken for the purpose of Business, then Interest on Mortgage Loan can be claimed as an Business Expenditure and thereby reduce the Tax Liability.

When do you no longer get mortgage interest deduction?

By April 2020, you won’t be able to deduct any of your mortgage expenses from rental income to reduce your tax bill. Instead, you’ll receive a tax-credit, based on 20% of your mortgage interest payments.