To find the real estate taxes you paid, check four sources in this order depending on how you pay: your county tax authority’s online portal if you pay the county directly, your mortgage servicer’s annual escrow statement if taxes are paid from escrow, Box 10 of IRS Form 1098 as a quick reference, and your Closing Disclosure if you bought or sold the property during the year. Each source shows the same underlying payment from a different angle, and cross-checking them is the safest way to get an accurate figure for your tax return or for proof of payment.
What You Need Before You Search
Every parcel of real estate carries a unique number assigned by the local tax assessor, usually called an Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) or Property Identification Number (PIN). This number ties the land and any structures on it to a specific tax account, independent of your name or mailing address. You can pull it from a prior tax bill, an assessment notice, or the deed you received at closing.
Most county search tools accept any of three inputs: the parcel number, the owner’s full legal name, or the property’s street address. Having the parcel number ready is the fastest route, because names and addresses sometimes return multiple matches or none at all.
Your County Tax Authority’s Website
County treasurers and tax collectors maintain free online portals where you can look up your property tax account, view past bills, and see the exact date and amount of each payment. Most portals show at least three years of history. If you own your home outright with no escrow account, this is the primary record of what you paid.
Enter your parcel number or street address, then open the tab labeled “Payment History” or “Tax Bill Search.” The results list each payment received, the date it posted, and the dollar amount credited. Reviewing this record catches errors before they turn into late penalties, which vary by jurisdiction and can reach 10 percent or more of the unpaid balance within the first few months of delinquency.
If you need paper proof, call or visit the treasurer’s office and request a certified copy of your payment history. There is usually a small administrative fee. A certified record carries weight during a title dispute, a refinance, or any situation where you need documented proof that a tax obligation was satisfied.
Your Mortgage Servicer’s Annual Escrow Statement
If your mortgage includes an escrow account, your servicer collects a portion of each monthly payment and pays the property tax on your behalf. Federal law requires the servicer to send you an annual escrow account statement itemizing the total deposited, the total paid out for taxes, insurance, and other charges (each listed separately), and the ending balance. This statement must arrive at least once every 12 months.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 12 USC 2609 – Limitation on Requirement of Advance Deposits in Escrow Accounts2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 1024.17 Escrow Accounts
For escrow borrowers, this is the most reliable single source. It tells you exactly how much the servicer sent to the county, on what date, and whether anything is left over or short. If you don’t have a paper copy, log into your servicer’s online portal and look under the account documents or year-end statements section.
IRS Form 1098, Box 10
Your mortgage lender must send you IRS Form 1098 by January 31 each year if you paid at least $600 in mortgage interest during the prior calendar year.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6050H – Returns Relating to Mortgage Interest Received in Trade or Business From Individuals The form’s main purpose is reporting mortgage interest, but lenders may also report real estate taxes and insurance paid from your escrow account in Box 10.4Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 1098
Box 10 is informational. Lenders are not required to fill it in, so a blank box doesn’t mean no taxes were paid. If Box 10 is empty, use your annual escrow statement or the county portal instead. When Box 10 does show a figure, treat it as a starting point and confirm it against the escrow statement or county record before filing. Most lenders post Form 1098 to their online banking portal in January.
Your Closing Disclosure if You Bought or Sold This Year
If you bought or sold a home during the year, the annual tax bill was split between buyer and seller based on each party’s period of ownership. That split appears on the Closing Disclosure, the standardized settlement form used for most residential mortgage transactions. In the “Summaries of Transactions” tables, look for line items labeled “City/Town Taxes” or “County Taxes.” Those show the prorated amount each party owes or receives credit for.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 1026.38 Content of Disclosures for Certain Mortgage Transactions (Closing Disclosure)
If the seller had already paid taxes covering a period after the closing date, the buyer reimburses the seller for that portion. If the seller owed taxes for a period before closing but had not yet paid, the buyer receives a credit at closing and then pays the full bill later. These prorations directly affect how much property tax each party can claim on that year’s federal return.
The Closing Disclosure also has a separate line under “Other Costs” for the “Initial escrow payment at closing.” That deposit funds future tax and insurance bills and is not itself a tax payment, so don’t count it as one.6eCFR. 1026.38 Content of Disclosures for Certain Mortgage Transactions (Closing Disclosure)
For transactions that closed before October 2015, or that did not involve a federally regulated mortgage, you likely received a HUD-1 Settlement Statement instead. The same prorated tax figures appear on Lines 106 through 112 in the Summary of Borrower’s Transaction section.7Legal Information Institute. 12 CFR Appendix A to Part 1024 – Instructions for Completing HUD-1 and HUD-1a Settlement Statements
What Counts as Real Estate Taxes Paid
Once you have the numbers, know that not every charge on a property tax bill is a deductible real estate tax. Special assessments that directly increase your property’s value, such as charges for new sidewalks, sewer lines, or water mains, are not deductible. Flat fees for services like trash collection, water usage, or lawn-mowing enforcement are also excluded, even when the tax authority collects them on the same bill.8Internal Revenue Service. Real Estate Taxes, Mortgage Interest, Points, Other Property Expenses When you pull your total for a return, separate the general property tax from any line-item service charges or improvement assessments.
Property taxes on a primary residence, a vacation home, or vacant land are deductible if you itemize, but the deduction for state and local taxes overall is capped for federal purposes.9Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 503, Deductible Taxes10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 164 – Taxes For 2026, that cap sits at $40,400 for most filers ($20,200 if married filing separately), with a phaseout for higher incomes. Knowing the exact amount you paid, from the sources above, is what lets you claim the deduction correctly and prove it if the IRS asks.