Owning a home can pay off at tax time. Take advantage of these homeownership-related tax deductions and strategies to lower your tax bill: Mortgage Interest Deduction One of the neatest deductions itemizing homeowners can take advantage of is the mortgage interest deduction , which you claim on Schedule A . To get the mortgage interest deduction, your mortgage must be secured by your home — and your home can be a house, trailer, or boat, as long as you can sleep in it, cook in it, and it has a toilet. Interest you pay on a mortgage of up to $1 million — or $500,000 if you’re married filing separately — is deductible when you use the loan to buy, build, or improve your home. If you take on another mortgage (including a second mortgage, home equity loan, or home equity line of credit) to improve your home or to buy or build a second home, that counts towards the $1 million limit. If you use loans secured by your home for other things — like sending your kid to ...