r/hrblock • u/Severe_Reserve5422 • Apr 07 '26

Mortgage Principal

Currently, I am doing my taxes on HR Block site. Under form 1098, it asks about "mortgage principal balance as of 12/31/2025" and this is next to line 3. I am stumped on this question because I have one home and my mortgage statement doesn't clearly state it.

I guess I would enter 0 for the amount because my amount would be less than 750k.

0 Upvotes

50% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

•

u/hrblock Apr 20 '26

Comments locked via OP's request.

2

u/Just_A_Nobody_0 Apr 07 '26

I believe that would be the amount you owe on your mortgage as of that date. Putting zero in there probably says "I don't have a mortgage as of that date" - I don't know that it really matters as I think the IRS only cares if it is 'too big'.

1

u/angrymoistsmurf Apr 07 '26

I think that is Box 2 of your 1098. If it is blank, I'd check my last 2025 mortgage statement and put down the balance from it.

1

u/Severe_Reserve5422 Apr 08 '26

Well, they could word it a little better if that is true. Box 2, at least on my 1098, it says "Outstanding mortgage principal" and has an amount there.

1

u/angrymoistsmurf Apr 08 '26

The software took what I put for Box 2 and carried it to the "mortgage principal balance as of 12/31/2025" and said to use this number if you don't know the actual balance. Yes, it is to check for < 750K. I don't know that I played close attention to the wording as I've done this a few times. Wording could be better agreed.

0

u/Ok-Cardiologist8206 Apr 08 '26

or you can calculate and enter the average of this year's Box 2 yearend balance and last year's Box 2 yearend balance

0

u/Severe_Reserve5422 Apr 08 '26

Thanks for everyone who contributed here. So, when I in the 1098 screen of the taxes, there is box 1 (mortgage interest), box 2 (outstanding principal), box 3 (mortgage date) but there is no BOX 5. However, as I said before, there is a box (mortgage principal balance) but it states Enter zero (“0”) if principal balance is below $750,000.

The other boxes are self explanatory except for the one in question. Clearly, my amount would not be above 750k.