Do you deduct mortgage interest when you paid it or when it was applied?

[taxtirtul]

Here is the situation and thanks in advance for help:

A new home was closed on November 15, 2018. The prepaid interest was paid at closing and the 1st mortgage payment was due Jan 1, 2019. 

The 1st mortgage payment for the full amount due Jan 1st was made Dec 10, 2018. A second mortgage payment was made December 26th.

On the form 1098 received from the bank, the interest from the mortgage payment made December 26th was not included in box 1. Do I include that amount in my 2018 tax return?

[JulieR]

Any interest paid and applied to your mortgage in the current year is allowed as a deduction.  However, see the "prepaid interest" note below from the IRS.

If your payments are designated for future months there is a limit to the amount you can deduct.

IRS Publication 936-Home Mortgage Deduction (Click the link for more information)

• Prepaid interest. If you pay interest in advance for a period that goes beyond the end of the tax year, you must spread this interest over the tax years to which it applies. You can deduct in each year only the interest that qualifies as home mortgage interest for that year. 

[taxtirtul]

Thanks. I was reading through the publication and I'm still confused. I know the prepaid interest paid at closing is deductible.

So in Box 1 on the 1098, the amount of the prepaid interest paid at closing is included. However, it excludes the interest from the advance mortgage payment made December 26th. So it's not clear if I can include that amount.

[Critter]

Ask your mortgage company but the second payment made in the same month was most likely applied to principal only and not any interest.

[taxtirtul]

I think I understand better now. It was treated as a traditional mortgage payment by the bank. The second payment in December was applied for the Feb 1 due date, which means it was paying for the interest accrued in January. That amount would not be deductible for 2018 tax purposes, but it should be included when I receive next year's 1098.