January 25, 2019 | by Michael Wilt
Categories: First Time Buyer, Homeownership
This blog post was originally published on February 17, 2017. But because we still love tax season and want everyone to know about the benefits of Mortgage Credit Certificates, we felt this article was worthy of updating and reposting.
Tax season is upon us, and let's be honest, for most people there's not much to get excited about when it comes to doing your taxes. But at TSAHC, we actually love this time of year. That's because tax season is the perfect opportunity to remind home buyers about our Mortgage Credit Certificate Program and the savings that could be in their future.
The Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) is a dollar-for-dollar federal income tax credit equal to a percentage of the interest a homeowner pays on their mortgage loan (read this earlier On The House entry for a more detailed explanation). Homeowners with an MCC are eligible for a tax credit that can save them thousands of dollars over the life of their loan.
TSAHC has assisted thousands of Texans through our MCC Program. Those home buyers have a reason to share our love for tax season because they will save 20% of what they paid in mortgage interest on their taxes this year.
It gets better. Homeowners can take advantage of the MCC credit on their federal income taxes every year they occupy the home as their principal residence, which means every tax season will be a reason to celebrate.
Qualifying for an MCC is simple. Home buyers eligible for down payment assistance through one of home buyer programs are also eligible for the MCC Program so long as they are a first-time home buyer or have not owned a home in the last three years. Veterans are exempt from the first-time home buyer requirement.
The only other requirement is that home buyers apply for an MCC when purchasing a home. Home buyers that close on a home without an MCC can't retroactively apply for one.
That's why it's so important for us to highlight our MCC Program. Like down payment assistance, we worry that home buyers are losing out on thousands of dollars simply because they don't know programs like ours exist.
This tax season, we hope you will help us spread the word about our MCC Program so that more future home buyers have a reason to love tax filing time.
On the House blog posts are meant to provide general information on various housing-related issues, research and programs. We are not liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the information provided by blog sources. Furthermore, this blog is not legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney.
TSAHC reviews all blog comments before they are posted to ensure a positive experience for our online community. Off-topic comments; hostile, derogatory or deliberately insulting comments; and comments specifically promoting goods and services will not be posted.
Approved comments will be published in their entirety. Personal information will not be removed unless it pertains to someone other than the person submitting the comment. For more information, please see our Comment Posting Guidelines.
To remove a previously submitted and published comment, please contact Anna Orendain at [email protected].
If you have a question regarding any of TSAHC's programs, please contact us.
