Reduce Your Taxes With These Special Loans
Almost everyone needs to borrow cash from time to time and it makes sense to do your research before jumping into a big situation involving money. Were you aware that when you take out a loan you could also be shrinking the amount of taxes you have to pay at the end of the year? Surprisingly, not all loans are the same when it comes times to look at your tax situation. Some loans may give you a tax credit which shrinks the tax you owe and other kinds of loans can give you a tax deduction which lowers your taxable income. Here’s a brief guide to which loans may qualify you for a tax credit, though obviously individual cases will vary.
School Loans: You can, in many cases, deduct the interest you paid on the loan from your income taxes. Not all school loans are eligible for this, but it’s a good way to decrease the taxes you pay, especially if you’re a struggling student with a limited income. The interest you pay on most student loans can only be deducted if you make under a certain amount of money, based on how you file your taxes.
House Mortgages: Most home payment plans are designed so that you can deduct the amount of interest you pay on the loan every year. For most taxpayers their home is the biggest purchase they ever make, and paying a home loan can actually be a good way to reduce the amount of cash you owe on your income taxes each year. Since most house loans are set up to be paid over 30 years, that means that buying a home can give you 30 years of possible tax deductions.
Home Equity Loans: If your dwelling is more valuable now than when you bought it then you might be able to take out a home equity loan (sometimes called a HELOC) and deduct the interest you pay on that borrowed money. There are some restrictions about how much of your loan’s interest actually qualifies for a tax benefit. You can use a home equity loan for a variety of things, you may be able to get additional tax credits by using the money for home improvements. In some case you can even qualify for tax deductions for using the money to upgrade your house’s energy efficiency. A home equity loan used to improve your house could eventually raise the value of your home and give you even more equity in the long run. For many people part of the cost of a HELOC can be balanced out with home remodeling tax deductions.
There are, of course, a lot of differences between these loans. Everyone will not be eligible for all the different tax deductions that these loans may offer. Sometimes your income, the amount of money you want to borrow and the reason of the loan will limit the amount of money you can deduct from your taxes in any given year. Before you take out any of these loans you may want to talk with your tax professional to make sure the tax benefits apply to your individual situation. Sometimes taking out the right kind of loan can literally save you thousands of dollars on your income taxes, so it’s worth spending a little bit of time and energy to look into what sort of tax benefits you qualify for.
Want to learn more about the details of home loans? Check out our site to learn more about tips for getting a bank to modify your home loan, underwater mortgages and the home buyer tax credit extension.