Buying a New Home? How to Choose the Right Tax Specialist (2026)

Updated October 2026. We rewrote this guide for people buying a home who want a tax pro on their side, with the 2025 IRS rules that changed the math.

When you buy a home, pick a tax specialist with IRS representation rights: an enrolled agent, a CPA or a tax attorney. As of October 2026, it matters more than usual. For 2025 returns, the IRS raised the state and local tax deduction limit to $40,000, and the home energy credits ended after December 31, 2025.

Jump to: 🪜 Credentials · 💲 2025 home tax rules · 🤝 Questions to ask · 🏠 Records to keep · ❓ FAQ

Most first-time buyers never think about taxes until the first property tax bill lands. By then the closing statement is in a drawer and the escrow account is already set. A good tax pro looks at the purchase before you file and tells you whether itemizing beats the standard deduction for you. Here’s how to pick one.

Which kind of tax specialist do you need?

The IRS says anyone with a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) can be a paid return preparer. Skill levels vary a lot, though. The real dividing line is representation rights, meaning who can speak for you if the IRS sends a letter.

For a plain purchase of a main home, an EA or a CPA who does a lot of individual returns is usually enough. If you’re buying a rental, a home with an office for your business, or property with a partner, look for someone who handles real estate clients every week. Some firms keep a team of tax specialists under one roof, so one person can pass a tricky question to a colleague who sees it daily.

Titles beyond the three above are often marketing. FINRA keeps a public database of professional designations and the certifications tax specialists can obtain, with who issues each one and what it takes to keep it. Look up any letters after a name you don’t recognize.

What changed for homeowners on 2025 returns?

IRS Publication 530 (2025) lists three changes that matter to a new owner.

• The SALT cap rose to $40,000 ($20,000 if married filing separately). It phases down when modified AGI tops $500,000, but not below $10,000.
• Residential clean energy credits are gone for spending after December 31, 2025.
• The energy efficient home improvement credit ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025.

The SALT change is the big one. With a $10,000 cap, many buyers in high-tax counties hit the ceiling with property tax alone. At $40,000, itemizing can make sense again, so the “should I itemize?” talk with your tax pro is worth having this year.

Mortgage interest rules didn’t move. Per IRS Publication 936, you can deduct interest on up to $750,000 of home acquisition debt ($375,000 married filing separately) taken out after December 15, 2017. Older loans keep the $1 million limit. If you want a plain-English overview of all the perks and advantages of owning a home at tax time, read it before your first meeting so you know what to ask.

What can you deduct in the year you buy?

Publication 530 is clear on what’s in your house payment. Only two parts can be deducted: state and local real estate taxes paid to the taxing authority, and qualifying mortgage interest. Homeowners insurance, HOA fees, repairs and forfeited deposits are not deductible.

The closing statement matters here. Property taxes are usually split between buyer and seller at closing, and you deduct only your share. Points paid on the loan may be deductible too. Most other closing costs aren’t deducted; they go into your cost basis instead. A tax pro reads that statement line by line, which is the main reason to hire one in the purchase year.

Not sure what each line on the statement means? Our breakdown of how much closing costs are walks through the usual fees, and our guide to title insurance explains the policy you’ll see on it.

What should you ask before you hire a tax pro?

A 15-minute call tells you most of what you need. Ask these, and write down the answers.

• What’s your PTIN, and do you hold an EA, CPA or law license?
• How many homeowner returns did you file last season?
• Have you worked with rentals, home offices or co-owned property?
• Will you represent me if the IRS sends a notice?
• How do you charge: flat fee, by form or by the hour?
• Who signs the return as the paid preparer?

That last one matters. The IRS warns taxpayers about unethical “ghost” return preparers. If someone won’t put their own name on the return they prepared for you, walk away.

How do you check reviews without getting fooled?

Ask friends who bought a home in the last two years who did their taxes and whether they’d go back. That beats any website. Online, look at the number of reviews as much as the stars. A 4.6 from 300 clients tells you more than a 5.0 from four.

Read the one- and two-star reviews. Missed deadlines and unanswered calls in March are the pattern to watch. A complaint about price alone is less worrying. Then check credentials yourself: the IRS runs a public Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications.

Which home records should you keep for your tax pro?

Keep the paperwork that proves what you paid and what you added. You’ll need it now for deductions and later, when you sell, to work out your gain.

• The final closing statement and the deed.
• Form 1098 from your lender each year.
• Property tax bills and proof of payment.
• Receipts for improvements, like a new roof, an addition or central air.

Improvements raise your basis; repairs don’t. When you sell a main home, the IRS lets many owners exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 on a joint return, if they meet the ownership and use tests (Topic 701). Gains above that are taxable, and good records shrink them. Our guide on capital gains tax when selling a house and our notes on handling real estate taxes when you sell cover the far end of that timeline.

Where does Beycome fit when you’re buying?

Taxes are one cost line; the buyer-agent commission is another. The Beycome buyer program has no upfront fee. Beycome keeps 1% of the price, with a $1,499 minimum, and credits the rest of the buyer-agent commission to you at closing, with lender approval. It’s open to every buyer on homes listed by other agents (the commission credit can’t apply where no buyer-agent commission is offered, like most FSBO homes, or on homes listed by Beycome sellers).

A closing credit may also matter to your tax pro, because it can change how your basis is figured. Bring the closing statement to that first meeting. Buying in Florida or Texas? Beycome Title handles closings there, with Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana starting November 2, 2026. For the rest of the buying steps, see our smart buyer’s guide.

Tax specialist questions from home buyers