property tax

[acmeacme]

I have a vacant land lot that I have always deducted the mortgage interest on. ( I was hoping to build a home on it, but currently it is just completely bare) I tried doing it this year and it says it's not valid. I rented a residence to live in last year. Have I been doing this wrong the whole time? 

[MarilynG1]

No, you can't deduct interest on land that you keep and intend to build a home on.  However, some interest may be deductible once construction begins. You can treat a home under construction as a qualified home for a period of up to 24 months, but only if it becomes your qualified home at the time it's ready for occupancy. 

The 24-month period can start any time on or after the day construction begins. As a qualified home, the interest paid may qualify as deductible mortgage interest, with certain limitations.

So if you start some form of construction, you can deduct the interest for two years. 

Here's more info from the IRS.