Deductible interest after a cash-out refi
3 Replies
Mark Jones
Rental Property Investor from Indianapolis, IN
posted almost 2 years ago
I need some help understanding what interest I can/can’t deduct on schedule E.
I did a cash-out refi on the duplex I live in back in August. That refi also paid off a heloc I had on the property. 75% of that heloc had been used for a down payment on another rental 2 years ago.
So with the interest I’ve paid on the new loan, I believe I can’t deduct the amount that would for the cash-out (as a percentage of the principal). What I’m not sure about is the heloc portion of the new loan. Am I allowed to deduct the 75% of the heloc portion of the new principal? Then I’ll deduct 50% of the original loan portion since only 50% of the residence is a rental?
Hopefully I described this well enough. Engineers know numbers but that doesn’t mean they are any good at explaining them.
Are there any other tax implications that this would have had?
Ashish Acharya
Accountant from Atlanta, GA
replied almost 2 years ago
Originally posted by @Mark Jones :
I need some help understanding what interest I can/can’t deduct on schedule E.
I did a cash-out refi on the duplex I live in back in August. That refi also paid off a heloc I had on the property. 75% of that heloc had been used for a down payment on another rental 2 years ago.
So with the interest I’ve paid on the new loan, I believe I can’t deduct the amount that would for the cash-out (as a percentage of the principal). What I’m not sure about is the heloc portion of the new loan. Am I allowed to deduct the 75% of the heloc portion of the new principal? Then I’ll deduct 50% of the original loan portion since only 50% of the residence is a rental?
Hopefully I described this well enough. Engineers know numbers but that doesn’t mean they are any good at explaining them.
Are there any other tax implications that this would have had?
So you have three prongs
1) cash out refi up to original mortagage- yes 1/2 of the interest would be still be deducted if you rent the others unit in your duplex. Other half can be deducted as itemized deduction if you choose to do so.
2) extra cash out refi used to pay the heloc that was used to fund a rental - yes the interest on the portion that you used pay off the heloc used for rental is deductible at rental level. Good tracking and bookkeeping is required to sustain the deduction.
3) interest on the extra cash out refi used for personal purpose is not deductible.
Mark Jones
Rental Property Investor from Indianapolis, IN
replied almost 2 years ago
Thanks @Ashish Acharya one other thing I forgot to ask is whether any off the refi fees or the appraisal can be expensed?
Ashish Acharya
Accountant from Atlanta, GA
replied almost 2 years ago
Originally posted by @Mark Jones :
Thanks @Ashish Acharya one other thing I forgot to ask is whether any off the refi fees or the appraisal can be expensed?
Loan cost in connection with mortgage refinancing generally are not deductible when paid but, instead, must be capitalized and amortized over the term of the new loan.
If you have unamortized loan cost from the first mortgage it can be deducted now.