Your lender sends the 1098 to you automatically if you paid mortgage interest

You do not request a 1098 form — your mortgage lender is required by law to send it to you if you paid $600 or more in mortgage interest during the tax year. The lender mails it to the address on file with your loan, usually arriving in late January or early February. You should receive it without taking any action.

If you paid less than $600 in interest, your lender will not send a 1098, but you can still deduct that interest on your tax return if you itemize. You will need to calculate the amount yourself using your loan statements or year-end mortgage statement.

The 1098 shows the interest you paid, property taxes the lender collected (if held in escrow), and points paid on a new mortgage. It is one of the documents you need if you plan to itemize deductions instead of taking the standard deduction.

Key Takeaways

  • Your mortgage lender mails the 1098 automatically in January or February if you paid $600 or more in interest during the year.
  • The form goes to the address your lender has on file, so update your address with them if you moved during the tax year.
  • If you do not receive the 1098 by mid-February, contact your lender's customer service or loan servicer directly.
  • You can still deduct mortgage interest under $600 if you itemize, but you will need to calculate it yourself from your statements.
  • The 1098 is only useful for your taxes if your total itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction for your filing status.

What to do if your address changed during the year

If you moved and did not notify your lender, the 1098 will go to your old address. Contact your loan servicer as soon as you know you have moved and update your mailing address in their system. You can usually do this online through your loan account, by phone, or by mail.

Once your address is updated, ask the servicer to confirm they have the new address on file and will mail the 1098 there. If you moved late in the year, the 1098 may have already been printed and mailed before your change took effect — in that case, you can request a corrected form or have mail forwarded from your old address.

Contacting your lender if the 1098 does not arrive

If it is mid-February and you have not received your 1098, call your loan servicer's customer service line. Have your loan number ready. Ask them to confirm they mailed it and to which address. If they mailed it to an old address, request they send a replacement to your current address.

Some servicers allow you to read the 1098 from your online account instead of waiting for the paper copy. Log into your loan portal and look for tax documents or year-end statements. If you cannot find it online, the customer service representative can email or mail a copy to you.

If your lender says they never received a request to mail the form, ask them to generate one. They have the data — the form is a summary of interest and taxes they already collected from you. There is no charge for this.

Understanding what the 1098 actually shows

The 1098 has several boxes, but the ones that matter for taxes are Box 1 (mortgage interest paid), Box 2 (property taxes paid from escrow), and Box 3 (insurance premiums paid from escrow — these are not deductible). Some forms also show points paid on a new mortgage in Box 4.

The interest shown in Box 1 is what you can deduct if you itemize. Property taxes in Box 2 are also deductible, but subject to a $10,000 annual limit (combined with state and local income taxes). If you paid points to lower your interest rate, those may be deductible in full in the year paid, or spread over the life of the loan depending on the situation.

The 1098 is informational — it tells you what the IRS also knows your lender reported. You do not send the 1098 with your return, but you should keep it with your tax records in case the IRS asks questions about your deductions.

When you receive a 1098 but should not use it

If your total itemized deductions (mortgage interest, property taxes, state and local taxes, charitable donations, and medical expenses) do not exceed the standard deduction for your filing status, you should not itemize. For 2024, the standard deduction is $14,600 for single filers and $29,200 for married filing jointly — these amounts change each year.

In that case, you take the standard deduction instead and ignore the 1098 for tax purposes. You still keep it in your records, but it does not reduce your taxable income. Many homeowners find that even with mortgage interest, their total deductions fall short of the standard deduction, especially in the early years of a mortgage when interest is highest but other deductible expenses are low.

Corrected 1098 forms and amended returns

If your lender sends you a 1098 and later realizes it contains an error, they will send you a corrected form, usually marked "CORRECTED" at the top. This happens when interest was miscalculated or when a loan was paid off mid-year and the amount was wrong. Use the corrected form, not the original.

If you already filed your return using the incorrect 1098 and the error was in your favor, you do not need to do anything — the IRS will catch it when the lender files the corrected information with them. If the error was against you (you deducted less than you should have), you can file an amended return using Form 1040-X to claim the additional deduction.

Getting a 1098 for a refinanced or paid-off loan

If you refinanced your mortgage during the year, you will receive a 1098 from your original lender showing interest paid through the payoff date, and a separate 1098 from your new lender showing interest paid after the refinance. Both are valid and both should be included in your deduction calculation.

If you paid off your mortgage entirely in the year, your lender still sends a 1098 showing the interest paid up to the payoff date. This is the last 1098 you will receive from that lender — future years will have no mortgage interest to report.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a 1098 if I paid off my mortgage early?

Yes. Your lender sends a 1098 for the year showing interest paid through your payoff date. If you paid off the loan mid-year, the interest shown will be less than a full year. You can still deduct it if you itemize.

What if my lender is a bank, credit union, or online servicer?

All mortgage lenders are required to send the 1098 the same way. The source does not matter — if you paid $600 or more in interest, they must send it. Contact their customer service using the phone number on your loan statement if you do not receive it by mid-February.

Do I need the 1098 to file my taxes?

Only if you itemize deductions. If you take the standard deduction, you do not need it. Many people with mortgages still take the standard deduction because their total itemized deductions do not exceed it.

Can I deduct mortgage interest if I do not receive the 1098?

Yes, if you have proof of the interest paid. You can use your loan statements, year-end mortgage statement, or a copy of the 1098 your lender provides online. The form is a summary of what you already paid — not receiving the paper copy does not erase the deduction.

What if the 1098 shows a different interest amount than my statements?

Contact your lender to ask why. Common reasons include timing differences (when interest was posted versus when it was paid) or an error in calculation. Ask them to explain the discrepancy and send a corrected form if needed.