Most state and local governments charge an annual tax on the value of real property that you own. Any of these real estate taxes (also called property taxes) on your primary or secondary residence are generally deductible on your return. The amount of real estate taxes paid may be reported to you on Form 1098 Mortgage Interest Statement.

To enter your deductible real estate taxes in the TaxAct^® program:

1. From within your TaxAct return (Online or Desktop), click Federal (on smaller devices, click in the top left corner of your screen, then click Federal).
2. Click the Itemized or Standard Deductions dropdown, then click Taxes paid.
3. Continue with the interview process until you reach the screen titled Enter real estate taxes assessed and paid in 2023, then click the data entry field below Real estate taxes assessed and paid in 2023 and type the amount.

Per IRS Instructions for Schedule A, page A-7:

State and Local Real Estate Taxes

Enter on line 5b the state and local taxes you paid on real estate you own that wasn't used for business, but only if the taxes are assessed uniformly at a like rate on all real property throughout the community, and the proceeds are used for general community or governmental purposes. Pub. 530 explains the deductions homeowners can take.

Don't include the following amounts on line 5b.

• Foreign taxes you paid on real estate.
• Itemized charges for services to specific property or persons (for example, a $20 monthly charge per house for trash collection, a $5 charge for every 1,000 gallons of water consumed, or a flat charge for mowing a lawn that had grown higher than permitted under a local ordinance).
• Charges for improvements that tend to increase the value of your property (for example, an assessment to build a new sidewalk). The cost of a property improvement is added to the basis of the property. However, a charge is deductible if it is used only to maintain an existing public facility in service (for example, a charge to repair an existing sidewalk, and any interest included in that charge).

If your mortgage payments include your real estate taxes, you can include only the amount the mortgage company actually paid to the taxing authority in 2023.

If you sold your home in 2023, any real estate tax charged to the buyer should be shown on your settlement statement and in box 6 of any Form 1099-S you received. This amount is considered a refund of real estate taxes. See Refunds and rebates, later. Any real estate taxes you paid at closing should be shown on your settlement statement.

Related Links

• Reduction of Itemized Deductions

Note that any link in the information above is updated each year automatically and will take you to the most recent version of the webpage or document at the time it is accessed.