Can I claim my costs for re-mortgaging?
Question
In last months Q&A session you mentioned that mortgage broker and mortgage lender fees are of a revenue nature and valuation costs are of a capital nature. Is this also true if an investment property is re-mortgaged? I am about to re-mortgage an investment property with a different lender and will incur these costs again but am unsure if I can claim relief against them.
Arthur Says The answer is that it depends on the status of the interest of the loan. If the interest on the loan is an allowable expense, then the cost of obtaining the loan is also an allowable expense. So in this particular instance, because the loan that is being re-mortgaged is for the purpose of the property then once again the costs can be offset. Again, the mortgage broker and mortgage lender fees will be claimed against your rental income and the valuation costs will be claimed once you decide to sell the property.
Case Study
John has a buy-to-let mortgage with an outstanding amount of £50,000. He is currently repaying £450 per calendar month back to the bank. However he realises that another lender has a special reduced interest rate, so if he re-mortgagees with them his monthly rate will be reduced to £400.
He remortgages the property and incurs costs as follows: - Mortgage broker fees £250 - Mortgage lender fees £200 - Survey costs £200 This means he can offset £450 against his annual rental income and can claim the survey costs when he decides to sell the property. |