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New Member
posted Oct 8, 2020 9:57:18 PM

I refinanced my mortgage and took money out to upgrade flooring, kitchen and bath. Do I need to do all remodeling this year for tax purposes?

Or do I deduct as I am able to complete projects?

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2 Replies
Level 15
Oct 9, 2020 8:25:52 AM

The expenses for home improvements/remodeling your own residence are not deductible and do not get entered on your tax return.  Save all your records for someday when you sell the house.

Level 15
Oct 9, 2020 9:59:34 AM

I assume this is for your primary residence, and not for rental property or any other type of business property. In a nutshell, yes.

If your original loan balance was $75K at the time of refinance, and you refinanced at $100,000 for a $25,000 cash out, then you can only claim 75% of the interest on SCH A for the life of the loan.

If you use every penny of that $25K to improve the property (flooring, kitchen, bath, etc.) then no problem, you can claim 100% of the interest on the loan as a SCH A deduction.

However, if you took the loan out in 2020 and do not use the money to improve the property in 2020, then you can only claim 75% of your interest on SCH A on your 2020 tax return. Then if you use that money to pay for your improvements in 2021, you'll be able to claim 100% of the interest as a SCH A deduction on your 2021 tax return.