Refinance costs - how often can they be deducted?

Here's an interesting question from a Kiplinger's reader:

Although I refinanced my mortgage less than two years ago, interest rates are so low that I plan to refinance again. What costs can I deduct when I refinance for a second time?

Folks who refinance and refinance, again, are called serial refinancers. We saw the phenomenon grow during the days of sub-prime lending. But with interest rates now so low, it may make sense to refinance sooner rather than later.

To answer the question,

Serial refinancers get an additional tax break on top of the usual mortgage-interest and property-tax deduction. You can deduct the points you pay to get a mortgage in the year you buy a home -- even if the seller paid the points for you (a point is equal to 1% of the loan). You can also deduct points paid to refinance a mortgage, but normally that deduction must be spread out over the life of the loan. So if you paid two points ($5,000 in this example) on a $250,000, 30-year mortgage, you can deduct just $166.67 per year for 30 years.

The income tax consequences for making a mistake are not light. So caution is in order.

Read the full article, Get a Tax Break for Refinancing Again

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if you have questions about what you see here, contact

Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.

Stephen's Title Agency, LLC

165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101

Fairfield, NJ 07004

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