Bought house, can I deduct property taxes paid for by the seller at closing?

[edavis-j]

I bought a house on September 1st, 2017.  In closing costs, there were property (county + school) taxes paid for by the seller.

When I look at my HUD form, I'm the one technically being charged for the taxes, so even though I didn't pay for them, can I deduct them on my taxes?

Secondly, how does one determine how much of the school taxes to apply for deduction?  If the taxes are paid in full for a period covering September 2017 to July 2018, do I divide the total by the 10 months and then multiply by the 3 months in 2017?

[DeniseF1 · Accepted solution]

No. You can only deduct the amount you actually paid for property taxes.  In regards to school tax deduction, you claim the amount for tax year 2017, which is the 3 months.