This is your required reading list for maximizing the tax benefits of homeownership.

1. Form 1040A
   This is the basic IRS tax form you'll need to itemize deductions and maximize your tax benefits. Get familiar with it. You'll be filling it out annually for as long as you remain a homeowner.



2. Form 1040A Instruction Booklet
   Be sure to read the owner's manual for Form 1040A!



3. First Time Homeowners
   Essential for first-timers. And, an excellent way to brush up on your skills, even if you're a veteran homeowner.



4. What You Can & Can't Deduct
   Written in plain-speak for the first-time owner.



5. Home Mortgage Interest
   Being able to deduct mortgage interest is one of the most significant deductions you can take.



6. What's Deductible From Real Estate Taxes
   What if you could deduct more than you realized?



7. NON-Deductible Real Estate Taxes
   Legal deductions are a great deal already. Don't get imaginative.



8. Mortgage Interest Credit
   Never heard of it? Invest the time and find out.



9. Special Rules for Co-ops
   If you've bought into a co-op you'll need to understand the particular rules spelled out here.



10. Basis and the IRS
    The sooner you understand the basics of basis, the sooner you'll benefit tax-wise.



11. Record Keeping and the IRS
    The better your record keeping the more you'll be able to deduct. Now, and in the future.



12. Valuable IRS Reminders
    Every year, it seems, there are new exemptions or changes that may affect you. Here's what new for this Tax Year.



13. IRS Forms and Publications Index