Where the numbers from Form 1098 go on your tax return depends on which version of the form you received. Mortgage interest from the standard Form 1098 goes on Line 8a of Schedule A when you itemize. Tuition figures from Form 1098-T are used to complete Form 8863, which calculates your education credit. Student loan interest from Form 1098-E goes on Line 21 of Schedule 1 as an adjustment to income. Each form has its own rules, dollar limits, and income thresholds that determine whether the numbers actually help you.
The Three Forms and Their Destinations
The 1098 label covers three separate forms, and the names are close enough to cause confusion. Form 1098 itself is the Mortgage Interest Statement your lender sends to report interest you paid during the year.1Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1098, Mortgage Interest Statement Form 1098-T is the Tuition Statement your college or university sends to report qualified education expenses.2Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement Form 1098-E is the Student Loan Interest Statement your loan servicer sends when you paid $600 or more in interest.3Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1098-E, Student Loan Interest Statement All three arrive by the end of January, and the IRS gets its own copy for cross-referencing.
Each one lands in a different part of your return. Mortgage interest flows to Schedule A as an itemized deduction. Tuition figures generate a tax credit through Form 8863. Student loan interest reduces your adjusted gross income through Schedule 1. The sections below walk through each path.
Mortgage Interest on Schedule A
When you itemize, mortgage interest from Form 1098 goes on Line 8a of Schedule A (Form 1040). The figure you need is Box 1 of your 1098, which shows the total interest your lender received from you during the year. Transfer that amount directly to Line 8a.4Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Schedule A (Form 1040) The IRS matches what you report against the lender’s copy, so the numbers need to agree. If you paid more interest than what appears on the 1098, you can enter the larger deductible amount on Line 8a, but you should attach an explanation of the difference.
Box 6 of Form 1098 reports points paid on the purchase of a principal residence.5Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 1098 Points paid at closing to reduce your interest rate on a home purchase are generally fully deductible in the year you paid them. Because they’re reported on the 1098, they get folded into Line 8a alongside your regular mortgage interest.4Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Schedule A (Form 1040)
If you paid points that don’t appear on your 1098, those go on Line 8c instead. Points paid purely to borrow money on a refinance, for example, are typically deductible over the life of the loan rather than all at once.4Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Schedule A (Form 1040) Publication 936 walks through the math for figuring out how much you can deduct each year in that situation.
Private Mortgage Insurance in Box 5
Box 5 of Form 1098 reports private mortgage insurance premiums you paid during the year. After lapsing in 2021, the PMI deduction was permanently restored beginning with the 2026 tax year, and qualifying mortgage insurance premiums are treated as deductible mortgage interest. If your lender reports an amount in Box 5, you can include it with your interest deduction on Schedule A when you file your 2026 return. The IRS will update Schedule A with the appropriate line for 2026 filings. Income limitations apply, so higher earners may see the deduction reduced or eliminated.
Should You Itemize in the First Place?
Mortgage interest only saves you money if you itemize deductions on Schedule A instead of taking the standard deduction. For 2026, the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, $24,150 for heads of household, and $16,100 for married individuals filing separately.6Internal Revenue Service. IRS Releases Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2026 If your total itemized deductions fall below your standard deduction amount, the mortgage interest on your 1098 won’t change your bill.
Mortgage interest is often the largest single itemized deduction, but rarely enough on its own. Add up your state and local taxes (capped at $40,400 for 2026), charitable contributions, and medical expenses above 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. If that combined total beats the standard deduction, itemizing makes sense and your Form 1098 data becomes valuable.
This gate applies only to the mortgage 1098. Student loan interest (1098-E) and education credits (1098-T) are available whether you itemize or not, so those forms matter regardless of how you handle the standard deduction question.
Debt Limits That Cap the Mortgage Deduction
You can’t deduct interest on an unlimited amount of mortgage debt. For 2026 and beyond, the cap is $750,000 in total mortgage debt across your main home and one second home ($375,000 if married filing separately).7Internal Revenue Service. Publication 936, Home Mortgage Interest Deduction This limit was originally set by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and has been made permanent. If your combined balances exceed the threshold, you’ll need to calculate a reduced deduction using the worksheets in Publication 936. Box 2 of your Form 1098 shows your outstanding principal at the start of the year, which is where that calculation begins.
Interest on home equity loans and lines of credit is deductible only if you used the borrowed money to buy, build, or substantially improve the home securing the loan. Paying off credit card debt, student loans, or medical bills with a home equity line doesn’t qualify. If you took a home equity loan for a kitchen renovation, keep invoices and contracts that tie the draws directly to the improvement project.
A second home qualifies for the interest deduction as long as it has sleeping, cooking, and toilet facilities. If you rent it out, you must also use it personally for more than 14 days or more than 10% of the days it’s rented, whichever is longer. Fall short of that threshold and the IRS treats it as rental property, not a qualified second home.7Internal Revenue Service. Publication 936, Home Mortgage Interest Deduction
Form 1098-T Feeds Form 8863
Form 1098-T from your college or university doesn’t go directly on your tax return. You use it to fill out Form 8863, which calculates either the American Opportunity Tax Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit.2Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement These are credits, not deductions, so they reduce your tax bill dollar-for-dollar rather than just lowering your taxable income.
Start by comparing Box 1 (payments received for qualified tuition) and Box 5 (scholarships and grants) on your 1098-T. If Box 1 is larger, the difference is roughly your out-of-pocket cost that may qualify for a credit. If Box 5 exceeds Box 1, you have no qualifying expenses and may need to report the excess scholarship amount as taxable income.
American Opportunity Tax Credit
The AOTC is worth up to $2,500 per eligible student per year for the first four years of undergraduate education. Up to $1,000 is refundable, meaning you can receive it even if you owe no tax.8Internal Revenue Service. Refundable Tax Credits The refundable portion goes on Form 1040, Line 29, and the nonrefundable portion goes on Schedule 3, Line 3.9Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 8863 You get the full credit if your modified adjusted gross income is $80,000 or less ($160,000 for joint filers). It phases out between $80,000 and $90,000 ($160,000 to $180,000 for joint filers) and disappears above those thresholds.10Internal Revenue Service. American Opportunity Tax Credit
Lifetime Learning Credit
The Lifetime Learning Credit is worth up to $2,000 per return (not per student) and covers 20% of the first $10,000 in qualified expenses. Unlike the AOTC, it’s available for graduate school, professional courses, and beyond the first four years. It’s entirely nonrefundable, so it can only reduce your tax to zero. You claim the LLC through the same Form 8863, and the resulting credit flows to Schedule 3, Line 3.9Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 8863 You can’t claim both credits for the same student in the same year, but if you’re paying for two students, you could use the AOTC for one and the LLC for the other.
Form 1098-E Goes on Schedule 1
Form 1098-E is the simplest of the three. Box 1 shows the interest you paid on qualified student loans during the year. This deduction goes on Schedule 1 of Form 1040, Line 21, as an adjustment to income.11Internal Revenue Service. Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education The maximum deduction is $2,500 per year.12Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 456, Student Loan Interest Deduction
The critical difference from mortgage interest: this is an above-the-line deduction, meaning it reduces your adjusted gross income whether or not you itemize. You don’t need Schedule A. The deduction phases out as income rises. For single filers, it starts shrinking at $85,000 in modified adjusted gross income and disappears at $100,000. For joint filers, the phase-out runs from $170,000 to $200,000.11Internal Revenue Service. Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education If your servicer didn’t send a 1098-E because you paid less than $600 in interest, you can still claim the deduction using your own payment records.
When the Numbers on Your 1098 Look Wrong
Mistakes on these forms happen more often than you’d expect. Your lender might report the wrong interest amount, or your school might miscalculate scholarships in Box 5 of the 1098-T. If the numbers don’t match your own records, contact the institution that issued the form and ask for a corrected version. Corrected information returns follow the procedures in IRS Publication 1099.13Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Forms 1098-E and 1098-T
Don’t delay filing if a deadline is approaching. You can file using the amounts you know are accurate based on your own records, then amend if a corrected form arrives later. What you want to avoid is blindly copying a 1098-T that overstates your scholarships or understates your payments, because that shrinks the credit you’re entitled to. Keep payment confirmations, tuition bills, and loan statements so you can support your numbers if the IRS asks.