# How tax preparers request a Form 1098 from clients

Source: https://dokutrak.com/requests/tax-preparers/1098
Author: Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak
Published: 2026-10-30
Language: en-US

> Ask each homeowner client for the Form 1098 from every lender or servicer that held their mortgage during the year. After a refinance or a loan transfer, that means two forms, one from the old lender and one from the new. Ask for it before you know whether they will itemize, since the 1098 often settles that.

## Why tax preparers need a Form 1098

Box 1 mortgage interest is often what tips the comparison between Schedule A and the standard deduction. Box 6 points paid on a purchase may be deductible in the year paid, while points on a refinance are usually spread over the life of the loan. Box 10 may show property tax paid from escrow, which belongs on the state and local tax line, subject to its cap.

## What exactly to ask for

Every 1098 for the tax year, one per lender and per property, including a home equity loan or line of credit. After a refinance, ask for the closing disclosure too, because points and prepaid interest do not always appear on the 1098. If the loan was transferred mid-year, the new servicer’s welcome letter tells you a second form is coming.

## What to check when it arrives

- The number of 1098s matches every lender and servicer the client had during the year, including a refinanced or transferred loan.
- Box 2 outstanding principal and box 3 origination date are filled in, so you can see whether the loan limits apply.
- The box 8 property address is the client’s home; a 1098 for a rental goes on Schedule E, not Schedule A.

## Email to send your client

Subject: Your mortgage interest statement (Form 1098)

```text
Hi [Client name],

For your home, I need the Form 1098 your mortgage lender sends each January. If you refinanced, or your loan moved to a different company during the year, you should have one from each, so please look for both.

The form is usually in your lender’s online account, under Tax documents or Statements. If you also have a home equity loan or line of credit, its 1098 helps too.

Could you send them by [date]? If you refinanced, please attach the closing disclosure from the new loan as well.

Thanks,
[Your name]
```

## Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.

- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a Form 1098 or an unreadable or blurry scan. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.

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